Starlink, a satellite-based internet company from SpaceX, offers the greatest connectivity improvements to rural and remote communities, and in a recent update, the company is now offering better speeds to the Cherokee Nation.
The Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma has started installing SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet to help increase connectivity throughout the region, according to a Facebook post (via Reddit).
“As part of a pilot project to continue the tribe’s effort to better connect Cherokees to affordable, high speed internet, Cherokee Nation has begun installing Starlink to rural areas starting with our Cherokee speaking elders in the Belfonte Community,” explained the Facebook post.
“Some of the first to receive the internet system was Cherokee speakers Jack and Brenda Bush. The Bushes missed out on many telehealth appointments this year due to a poor internet connection. Now, with Starlink, they have access to high speed internet that is allowing them to connect like never before. Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. and Cherokee Nation Deputy Principal Chief Bryan Warner visited with the Bushes by Zoom call on Tuesday to test out the connection, which was their first ever video chat,” said the Cherokee Nation.
According to the post, Jack and Brenda Bush missed out on several telehealth calls within the past year, due to a faulty internet connection. Starlink is expected to help with that, and on Tuesday, they hopped onto a Zoom call with Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. and Deputy Principal Chief Bryan Warner to test the connection.
“This pilot project is the first of what the Cherokee Nation hopes to expand to serve other unserved or underserved areas across the reservation,” concluded the announcement.
Earlier this year, Starlink also partnered with the Nooksack Tribe in northern Washington to offer improved internet, with much of the region having previously seen internet speeds running well below the federal broadband of 25 Mbps. In that case, many households immediately began seeing download speeds between 80 and 140 Mbps upon installation of Starlink.
