Verizon to Improve Internet Connectivity at 80 Native American Schools

Verizon announced Wednesday it will upgrade internet connectivity across 80 Bureau of Indian Education schools operated by Native American tribes on 64 reservations across 13 states.

“A quality, high-bandwidth connection is critical for students to be able to learn from wherever they are – especially in more remote areas,” Maggie Hallbach, senior vice president for Verizon Public Sector, said in a statement. “We believe this is a fundamental right for all students, and by upgrading the technology and infrastructure across these tribal lands, including many with Gigabit connections, we’re helping BIE with its mission to enable a more comprehensive learning experience, preparing these students for the future.”

According to Verizon, the company previously upgraded more than 100 sites from legacy connections to 100-megabyte connections under the General Services Administration’s Networx contract. Beginning next year, many of those schools will be upgraded to 1-gigabyte connections through Verizon’s Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions task order. The Bureau of Indian Education’s mission is to provide quality education opportunities for children in accordance with a tribe’s needs for cultural and economic well-being.