Constructing the Loom:Establishing a Tribally Owned Service

Provider

Sacred Wind Communications

• The only non-tribally owned fully tribally-oriented telco

• Our Mission: • to serve unserved tribal areas

• Our initial purpose: • to mentor tribes into running own telco operations

Outreach Findings

• Many tribes unfamiliar with:• operational aspects of a telco• government funding and financial support for tribal telcos• federal & state regulatory requirements • telecom technology (“big boys game”)

• See themselves more in a regulatory role

Project Dine’: Navajo Nation

What we faced• 2004 - Sacred Wind team was

established to mentor Navajo Nation• 2006 – Sacred Wind began on its

own• 30% telecom penetration • 26 Tribal Lifeline customers• No broadband

What we did• Borrowed $50 M from RUS• Rebuilt telecom network• 85-90% telecom penetration• 2,000 Tribal Lifeline customers• 100% broadband coverage• Fastest broadband on Navajo

Lands

Project Dine’

Project Kuwaikahanu: Pueblo of Laguna

What we faced

• Revive RUS broadband grant• No broadband in all 6 villages• Digital literacy low in elder population• Little awareness of Tribal Lifeline

What we did

• Revived RUS grant• Built fiber to Fixed Wireless ntwk • Computer ctr built in all 6 villages• Trained computer ctr trainers• Trained customer reps & accountant• “Boot strapped” Pueblo Utility

Authority

Project Kuwaikahanu

Options offered by Sacred WindTelecom Autonomy

Tribal telecom provider trained by Sacred Wind to: Operate own telecom systems• Own all fixed wireless eqpt• Own all fiber spurs to bldgs.

“last mile” provider Keep all revenues

Own system

System design

Fiber direct to schools, clinics, & broadband cabinets

Fiber to Fixed Wireless or copper dropwire to home or business

Fort Mojave Telecommunications Inc.Fort Mojave Telecommunications, Inc.

Who we are …

Fort Mojave Indian Tribe is a federally recognized Sovereign Nation. Fort Mojave Indian Reservation straddles the Colorado River with 21,657 acres in AZ, 6,258 acres in CA and 3,787 acres in NV.

Fort Mojave Telecommunications, Inc.

• Established in 1988 to provide telephone and cable television services.• FMTI is 51% owned by Fort Mojave Indian Tribe and

49 % owned by NATELCO.• FMTI provides state of the art technology covering

31,702 sq. miles• FMTI currently serves approximately 831 access

lines, 60% of which are business lines. • FMTI has one central office with three (3)

Concentrator offices, equipped with a MetaSwitch Softswitch.

Fort Mojave Telecommunications Mission Statement

Dedicated to create a working environment that promotes good fellowship, teamwork and prosperity through communication, leadership, support and opportunity for individual advancement.

Dedicated to exceed customer expectations through friendly, courteous and professional service, by our commitment to excellence our company will grow and succeed.

Dedicated to provide specialized, quality telecommunication technologies to the proud people of the Fort Mojave Indian Tribe and surrounding growing communities.

FMTI Infrastructure for Cable TV, Voice, and Internet Services

FMTI Network Operations Center (NOC)NOC center is designed with blade server technology The NOC center is capable of providing reliable email servers, Website hosting, and Server collocation. The NOC generates monthly revenues from these services. NOC center is designed to house the entire tribal network.

Tribal Statistics

• There are 1,200 enrolled tribal members that make up the Ahamakav, Fort Mojave Indian Tribe—on-reservation residents 750 members, others live in other states.• On reservation members reside within several tribal communities

located in Arizona and California.• Tribal Children attend public and alternative high school (Charter

school on reservation) in California and Arizona, K-12 grade.

Employment and the Local Economy

The Tribe is the largest employer in the southern Mohave Valley, with over 3,100 jobs created. Tribal enterprises have made possible full time employment for all tribal members, and have opened new employment opportunities for people from neighboring communities. Tribal enterprises account for seven percent of Mohave County’s economy. Income from tribal enterprises provides educational scholarships, alternative high school, daycare, workforce improvement programs, cultural heritage preservation, library services, recreation venues such as the Fort Mojave Boys and Girls Club and vitally needed Health Care services.

Careful planning of land and water are the basis of a Tribal economy

• Fort Mojave Telecommunications, Inc. continues to embrace new technologies and provides digital, internet, telephone and cable service within the boundaries of the Fort Mojave Indian Reservation.• The Tribal Electric Utility, Ahamacav Power Services (AMPS) is

service provider to all enterprises on the Reservation.• The Tribe’s non-profit corporation, Fort Mojave Tribal Utilities

Authority, is the water and wastewater service provider to tribal and non-tribal customers in Nevada, Arizona and California reservation lands.

Aha Macav Power UtilitiesClientele

• AMPS Supplies power to the entire Reservation• Three residential communities.• Three Casinos.• New Mojave crossing event

center.• Serves all agricultural irrigation

pumping• Serves water pumping for

FMTUA.

Fort Mojave Tribal Utilities AuthorityFMTUA provides a variety of services to deliver clean water and sewer

connections