The Divide: Sharayah Lane on the need for Indigenous-led broadband solutions

This episode features Sharayah Lane, senior advisor for community connectivity at the Internet Society and advisory committee member of the Indigenous Connectivity Institute.

She joins the show to discuss the state of the digital divide for Indigenous communities across North America, including how funding programs created under the Biden administration are making a difference, plus policy recommendations from this year's recently held Indigenous Connectivity Summit – and more.

Here are just a few topics discussed on this episode:

• State of broadband connectivity for Indigenous communities (2:08)
• Background on the Indigenous Connectivity Summit (3:43)
• What's causing the digital divide in Indigenous communities (9:05)
• Impact of the Biden administration's funding programs and policies (12:05)
• Cost of closing the digital divide and why who gets the money matters (13:50)
• The need for "spectrum sovereignty" – and other takeaways from the Summit (21:00)

Related stories and links:

• Episode transcript (unedited PDF)
• Sixth Annual Indigenous Connectivity Summit to Provide Sustainable Solutions to Bridge Indigenous Connectivity Gap in North America (press release)
• The Buildout: USDA ReConnect awards $759M for broadband in 24 states | Light Reading
• The Divide: Sacred Wind's John Badal on bringing broadband to Navajo Nation | Light Reading
• For tribes, crucial broadband grants come with hurdles | Light Reading

— Nicole Ferraro, editor, Light Reading, and host of "​​The Divide" podcast.