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Navajo Nation Losing Internet Access
An anonymous reader writes "Due to contracts that are allegedly FUBAR, and associated wrangling, the Navajo Nation is being cut off by its satellite ISP. This is the final stage of the process, which already deprived chapter houses of access last April. While the business mechanisms play themselves into the expected ludicrous snarl, the real question may be: Is there a place for an inexpensive ham/technogeek/FOSS solution that could bypass the antics of the for-pay providers?"
http://xkcd.com/257/
I'm the Devil the Windows users warned you about.
They're binary, right?
At some point, we are going to realize that a world divided into nations cannot coexist with a world united on one internet.
It's already strange enough having nations like the Navajo trying to exist inside other nations.
What use are nations these days? Don't they just divide us?
Everybody wants something for free.
Not only is amateur radio restricted to non commercial uses - meaning important things like NO ADS ALLOWED more than simply no generation of profit for sending over those frequencies. However, it's also "no vulgarity", and "no encryption" as well.
Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from a rigged demo.
"Is there a place for an inexpensive ham/technogeek/FOSS solution that could bypass the antics of the for-pay providers?"
That question is just as relevant for the rest of the world as it is for the Navajo nation. What happens when AOL/Time Warner/Microsoft/CNN/MSNBC/Taco Bell and Carl's Jr. take over the world? There is no Net neutrality anymore. Everything we do is being watched, and reported to the corporations of the world. In the future we won't be able to sneeze or fart without someone knowing about it somewhere.
When are we going to get together to start forming our own backbones? We need a fat pipe that will always remain open and free and that can't be taken over by corporate greed. But, how would you pay for such a thing? How would you create it? How would you maintain it?
I'd be willing to pitch in $80 / month for a truly neutral network. What's your price? How much would you be willing to pay to have access to a FREE (as in speech) Internet connection?
I did some volunteer web development for a non-profit that deals with a high school on a navajo reservation. A lot of the students only had access to computers at school, and I was thinking that the OLPC project would be perfect for them... although I'm not so enthusiastic with the direction that OLPC seems to be taking.
But anyway, having a mesh-network with cheap netbooks like the OLPC would be a great way to extend access from some single source, if one could be found or created.
Also, I'll be going out there in 3 weeks with some members of this non-profit that I worked for, so I'll get a first-hand look at their situation.
-------
Incite and flee.
See if the local telco will set something up for them. They can use fixed wireless links from the nearest CO if running fiber costs too much.
The telcos have a vested interest in keeping various local, state and/or federal governments out of the broadband business. Its the old slippery slope argument. First, its just a publicly owned system for the Navajos. Next thing you know, they'll be wiring up _my_ neighborhood. (One can hope.)
Have gnu, will travel.
This not due to USAC's problems.
This action is being taken because the service provider and the applicant for the services BOTH conspired to break the rules surrounding the ERATE (Federal program that gives discounts on ELEGIBLE technology, at ELIGIBLE locations, to ELIGIBLE entities).
Wireless services were ONLY supposed to be offered at eligible school locations (classrooms, areas where data needed to transit to GET TO classrooms), but instead the wireless services were installed as a generic community service, some of them winding up in admin areas, boarding halls, and bus barns (all NON-ELIGIBLE areas).
Some folks are making this out to be a case of 'the white man screwing over the indian,' where in reality it is a case of 'the white man catching another white man and the indian breaking rules, and making them pay for their actions.'
For more information, go dig up some article from the Funds for Learning website (www.fundsforlearning.com) or eschoolnews.com
John McCain to the rescue.
Seriously. He's the man for this job. It's in his domain. It'll be a good test of his influence and his geek credibility.
And he's advertising on slashdot now. That's so cool.
Help stamp out iliturcy.
Perhaps they could pay for their own Internet access. Like, ya know, everyone else.
Interested in open source engine management for your Subaru?
Totally insensitive to the actual reprecussions of their actions, some GS weenie, probably balding and fat and fearful of doing anything constructive to solve problems because it might screw up his/her next stepping increase in the future, consigns thousands of people to being offline.
Government just doesn't really work.
You might want to RTFA a second time.
USAC, which administers billions of dollars in FCC grants every year to provide Internet service to rural areas and low-income consumers, is refusing to continue funding after an audit by the tribal government revealed questions over payments by the Navajos to their Internet provider, OnSat. As a result, another company, SES Americom, which provides satellite services to OnSat, is scheduled to pull the plug today.
USAC says the provider is under investigation, after the audit raised questions about the bidding process and possible overpayment. But the provider rejects the findings and plans to fight them in tribal court.
Surprise surprise, there was a corrupted bidding process overseen by an Native American Tribe.
Unfortunately, many of the Native American Tribes have poor &/or corrupt governance, none of which is the fault of the U.S. Government. If the Tribe was really serious about resolving the issue, they would conduct the quickest inquiry ever and do everything possible to create immediate reforms in order to regain the confidence of the USAC.
BTW - the USAC is a non-profit corporation, so they're not technically part of the US Gov't
[Fuck Beta]
o0t!
Is tribal governance not handled by some kind of tribal government?
Government screws stuff up. Tribal government, local government, federal government, doesn't really matter. If there's government involved, something is probably being forced to work inefficiently.
Maybe not
Oh please! You've had since 1973 to find an alternative or three. That's 35 years of sitting on your asses yelling "please,sir, may I have another?".
What?
This is definitely not the kind of problem that can be solved by geeks writing code. It's a physical layer issue, one of the hardest "last miles" in the country.
The Navajo Nation sits in hilly desert country. The population density is very low (it's desert, after all) and it's pretty far from anywhere (the AZ/NM/UT border). Most of the telephone service is provided by Frontier Navajo, who I think bought the tribal telephone company. On the NM side, some is now being served by Sacred Wind, a new phone company using WiMAX, with USF funding, to cover areas with an average population density below one person per square mile. Qwest, using old wireline technology, wouldn't go there; Sacred Wind needs to spend something approaching $10k/home using the latest radio technology. That's a fraction of what wireline would cost - and btw, USAC (the FCC's USF subsidiary) might well have spent more (they've funded >$20k/home for FTTH) if asked; that program is totally out of control. See "Sandwich Isles Communications" for a real horror show.
Frontier's network, which covers most of the reservation, is a traditional rural wireline telco, incapable of providing broadband outside of the villages. And if you want to lease a T1 from them, try $75/mile! So satellite, while hardly ideal, is usually the best option. And the bureaucrats should get off their duffs and fix the problem.
I've done some preliminary studies and it looks like some types of high-powered mesh radio network can cover rustic plains at reasonable cost, but this is in the foothills of the Rockies, not flatland, and the hills get in the way, so it would be very costly (as with Sacred Wind).
Some of the poorest in the nation. The African American population still has the lowest household income.
Yes... you just need one location to get a T1 line in (or some other major pipe). The grab a bunch of wireless trasmitter boxes from someplace like these guys (http://www.ubnt.com/). They all run Linux and you can connect to them wirelessly. Plus they have 3-5 mile trasmissions on some of the high end models. Do it right and you have a Navajo nation connected wirelessly on one T1 line. :)
This is my sig. There are many like it but this one is mine.
Is tribal governance not handled by some kind of tribal government?
Government screws stuff up. Tribal government, local government, federal government, doesn't really matter. If there's government involved, something is probably being forced to work inefficiently.
True, but...
1. Native American Government is much much less transparent about their business than is normal in a 'Western' government, allowing shenanigans that even their own people would protest. We're not talking inefficiency here, we're talking about a (apparently/allegedly) broken bidding process.
2. The OP specifically singled out "some GS weenie".
GS = General Schedule = US Federal Government
This problem is of the Tribe's own making and as I pointed out,
the USAC is not the Federal Government.
http://www.usac.org/about/usac/
The Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) is an independent, not-for-profit corporation designated as the administrator of the federal Universal Service Fund by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
A lot of the Native American Tribes need to join the modern era and create some transparency in their governance. It's one thing when their malfeasance/corruption benefits a minority of members, it's another thing entirely when it publicly harms the entire Tribe. How hard is it to run a kosher bidding process? They could have hired a bonded and insured company that adheres to Federal Standards to do it for them.
[Fuck Beta]
o0t!
That's a very simplistic viewpoint and runs counter to historical experience and the majority of accepted non-partisan political theory. It is a viewpoint that mostly goes along with governments that use Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt (FUD) as weapons of political terrorism. The United States does an exceptional job at creating FUD. Indeed, every government created by violence or fear has perpetuated itself through violence and fear, whereas governments formed by peaceful consent almost never use either violence or fear, they survive by consent perfectly well.
(I'm not going to argue over whether or not the war of independence was necessary or not, to me that is irrelevant. What matters is that the war is still going on in the minds of those who run the country, and all is "fair" in love and war - even when the war is a delusionary one.)
It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
"Is there a place for an inexpensive ham/technogeek/FOSS solution that could bypass the antics of the for-pay providers?"
Of course, it's all so simple! We could all build little F/OSS rockets out of plywood, duck tape and bailing wire, putting libre communications satellites based on Pringle's can technology into geosynchronous orbit!
Great idea. Too bad no one alive today is responsible for the murders and theft of the past, and the Native Americans alive today only exist because of such interference in the first place.
"We" didn't do it. Quit using that word to further your political agendas, Mr. Noam Chomsky Quote. People did it in the past, yes, but that doesn't mean the sin magically transfers to all the people still alive, like some sort of "original sin" from the bible.
You might want to look at what was highlighted - the PROVIDER is under investigation, not the tribe. It is the provider that is corrupt, the tribe (very likely) has no more technical knowledge or business acumen than any other non-technical non-corporate organization. ie: not much. This looks like a typical case of a business finding people who lack the necessary skills to evaluate a contract and decided to rip them off as much as possible before getting caught. Hell, I've worked for multinationals that are incapable of evaluating contracts and got themselves screwed over. If you can't expect Fortune 500 companies to bother reading what is written, just because of a fancy powerpoint presentation, can you seriously expect a community get-together to do better?
It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
Obviously, there's a magical solution as well if there's a FOSS solution to providing wireless internet access to a very large area. It may involve a combination of wireless access point implants that generate a large scale wifi cloud.
/. doesn't mean you need to stick "FOSS" in your question. It's the most overused and abused acronym around these parts. It costs money to set up wireless routers, pay the electric bill, get them connected to a provider, and pay that bill as well. We just had our free metro wi-fi turned off because even pumping ads at people wasn't enough to pay for it. Sorry, Libertarians, you're going to need a government solution for this one. Unless the tribe pays the bill or some corporation that has a lot of extra money they don't want to give to their employees is willing to donate it.
Just because it's
...the concentration of wealth has nothing to do with who controlled the land and resources of this country which were taken by force.
We did it, and we still benefit from the economic prosperity of our forefathers. Stop trying to pretend that you'd be where you are without the trampling of indigenous people. Just because you don't want to feel bad isn't excuse enough.
Of course, this doesn't apply if you are the minority or descendant of the oppressed where you live. But that's doubtful given your opinion on the matter.
IP over malfunctioning ACME rocket?
On the Oregon Cost born and raised, On the beach is where I spent most of my days
Just checking.
I'll be laughing my ass of when the Chinese knock you off your land and say, "Look at that white trash. Just sits in his trailer all day and drinks. Can you believe they could only support 300 million people on their land?"
Natives worked less hours, had cleaner air, water, food, and lived sustainably. It's better than we seem capable of. But you probably measure wealth in dollars. How's that been treating you lately? 401K looking good? Oh, and that lack of road thing is probably refuted by every piece of archeology in the western hemisphere, unless your definition of road needs asphalt, in which case there were no roads until the 20th century. Which seems kind of inaccurate.
I imagine your kids are getting some kind of education!
Here goes whatever karma I've built up, but oh-fucking-well:
1. Native American Government is much much less transparent about their business than is normal in a 'Western' government, allowing shenanigans that even their own people would protest.
You insensitive White Man! You and your Western style of government and business is evil and corrupt! Don't you realize, Evil White Man, that bribes and corruption are part of our Native American culture?!
The Great Spirit manifests itself in suitcases filled with money!
"The fight for freedom has only just begun." - Geert Wilders
How many more years are we going to rob Native Americans of livelihood?
Are they prevented from participating in our society? Native Americans are less subject to racism than many other minorities in the US. Anyone can move off the Res and join US society -- at the great expense of losing some of their cultural identity.
Here's an idea: estimate the value of all real estate in the US and start paying some reparations to the surviving family members.
The inheritance tax is specifically intended to prevent the perpetual heredity of vast wealth. At every passing, the majority of a rich family's wealth is transferred to the federal government to be distributed amongst society. Why should they benefit to much from what their distant ancestors once owned? Arguments abound on both sides here.
Or at least give them some decent infrastructure since we destroyed their civilization.
We replaced their civilization with a much more technologically advanced one, against their will. Why should we then provide their remaining lands with the technology that our civilization forced upon them? It's yet another outside force imposing change and diluting their culture. Keep in mind that any native American who wants to partake in modern technology is free to do so of their own accord, without it being thrown upon them.
And if you meet them, they aren't even angry about it
The hell they aren't. The traditional native American societies generally treat visitors quite well. However, the deep resentment for past actions is ingrained in the culture and passed through generations. Rightfully so, perhaps -- but whites are not trusted and never truly a part of the community.
Fuck writing your congressman. If you live near a reservation, call them and ask how you can help.
I doubt they want your help. Their civilizations have existed here with success (by some definitions) and sustainability (by any definition) for so much longer than ours, we have little to offer other than assimilation, which they are fighting hard to avoid. The reservations are supposed to be self-governing, independent nations with full power and authority to do as they please within their borders. Autonomy is the small reward the Nations were given for the great price of being herded into small enclaves. Those who stay on the Res do so by choice -- the choice to place their cultural identity and heritage above the conveniences of non-native life, and the choice to deal with tough conditions (socially, financially, and environmentally) rather than be assimilated. They choose to fight assimilation and cultural dilution rather than accept it. This is a difficult but respectable decision. The internet, and computing technology in general, is a direct pipe for cultural dilution. Most of the world sees this as a great benefit -- we mix and share different customs, memes, and thought processes and in doing so we become more homogeneous. For a small civilization working hard to maintain its differentiation from the vast masses surrounding it, this is a detriment to that goal. The decision, and the means to achieve the desired result, should be up to the tribes themselves -- not well-meaning white folks who want to "help" by making their world more like the surrounding world.
I am a geek attorney, but not your geek attorney unless you've already retained me. This is not legal advice.
"How hard is it to run a kosher bidding process?"
I'm posting anonymously, but one of my clients from time to time is a tribal government. It's actually pretty damn hard to run a kosher anything, when there are no trained employees whatsoever.
Consider that only 7% of the Navajo nation over age 25 has a college degree. That includes associates degrees too. Only 56% made it through high school.
Need someone who can e.g. run Excel or quickbooks? And someone who isn't caught up in the various things that occur disproportionately often in extremely poor areas, such as health deterioration, family issues, drug abuse, etc? Good luck with that.
Say you're lucky and land the perfect employee to help with running your government office. Congratulations, they just left for better pay in another division (or off the reservation entirely)!
It's really a rather difficult and sad situation that won't resolve itself for a generation or more, barring drastic change.
Last I heard the Navajo had a sovereign nation, so why should the FCC be paying for their internet access again?
If they can't govern themselves, employ themselves, feed themselves, or keep the lights on maybe it's time for them to join the U.S.A.
I was thinking something like a dynamite powered ornithopter for dumping boulders covered in data on the desired destination, but that works too :P
Admit it. You post strawman arguments as AC so you get modded Insightful for refuting them, rather than Troll
Indians actually prefer to be called Indians, or by the name of their tribe, if that matters. I'd prefer to listen to them, rather than what guilty-feeling white liberals think I should say.
Besides, even the T Tex isn't really a native American. They walked here just like the Indians did. Indians just got here earlier than I did.
Slashdot "libertarians": Small government for me, big government for those I disagree with. -1, I disagree with you
Monoculture society, like large agricultural monoculture, is anti-survival. In general a monoculture, lacking the strength of diversity, is prone failure from the first serious malevolent force or organism to threaten it. A multitude of famines throughout history has proven this for agriculture; there is very good reason to believe -- actually there is also good historical evidence -- that this concept has a close analogy with human "cultures".
... lurk in insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well-meaning but without understanding." -- U.S. Justice Louis Dembitz Brandeis
While one worldwide society might SEEM like a worthwhile goal and good idea on its face, the shortcomings are insidious and subtle but all too real, and not just potentially but almost certainly disastrous in the long run. It is NOT a good idea.
--
"The greatest dangers
Remember, my theory says NOTHING about success, wealth, power, influence or even freedoms. It states that a system will typically be maintained by the means by which it is created. You can have a violently maintained nation that still has enormous freedoms. In the most trivial sense, the fact that US cops carry guns is all about maintaining law and order through the threat of them shooting you. If that wasn't an effective threat, why would they bother?
You can also have FUD and freedom. Classic example - the raising of the national alert status for the Democratic Convention in 2004. Wonderful example of deliberate scare tactics, but it didn't alter anyone's freedom to attend. Margret Thatcher routinely used scare tactics to frighten people away from voting Labour, superb FUD work, but she never stopped anyone supporting them or voting for them.
My first claim is that you cannot have a nation that was founded through violence that uses neither FUD nor violence to survive - such methods guarantee real and imagined grievances will make it unsafe for such a nation to ever renounce such methods. Any nation that tries will inevitably get itself replaced. You have shown me no counter-example. All your examples verify this claim.
My second claim is that you cannot have a nation that was founded through peaceful means that uses either FUD or violence to survive - should it try, the backlash will always exceed its capacity to deal with both the rebellion and whatever caused it to adopt such tactics in the first place. There are rather fewer examples of such societies, but they have existed (Skara Brae is a good example, surviving 1,500 until finally being beaten by the environment) and they do exist (Iceland is considered the most peaceful in the world, has been a genuine democracy since 930AD and I don't recall it getting mentioned here for Big Brother tactics).
I make no other claims, although since you brought up America's wealth, I would point out Iceland is one of the wealthiest nations in the world. This would indicate to me that any nation is capable of wealth, that wealth is wholly independent of the means to sustain the government.
(Please note: I dislike Iceland's stance on many issues, but I respect them for being honest in their views. I wouldn't want to live there, and I do choose to live in the US freely even though I regard the current regime as a bunch of mindless thugs and don't expect any future regime to improve on that.)
It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
Well spoken.
Affirmative action is the new racism. It is a very effective method of marginalizing non-whites.
"Your ethnicity is a handicap, so here's your cripple check."
But hey, it is just so easy.
What is wrong with saying "Sorry, folks, but the world is a real place and sometimes fucked up shit happens. Deal with it." and letting the chips fall where they may? Oh, no that would be awful! People coming from the bottom would actually have to work hard, and would have to teach their children to value the things they have. And that wouldn't be easy at all. How terrible!
On the subject of "Native Americans", the idea that indigenous peoples have some "right to live however they want" is a crock of shit. Indigenous peoples, minorities, and majority groups all have the same "right to life" as everyone else: the right to live as they are able to, not as they want to.
I was born in Illinois. I am a Native American. Where's my cripple check? Never mind , keep it. I take pride in working for a living.
So can you.
As a result of affirmative action, "minority" people are becoming less equipped to compete on a level playing field.
It is one of the biggest scams alive today.
-
Let the modding-down begin.
Someone in power will in fact seek unity, not division. They do this by trying to unite people under their immediate authority against a distant enemy. They do this because it puts them in more control and gives them more power over this home group.
The more distant and more abstract -- and more powerful -- the enemy is perceived as being, the more potential "unity" against this "enemy" that can be achieved close to home, and thus more central power can be asserted.
The threat of "terrorists of uncertain origin" is one excellent example of the use of this technique. Sound familiar?
.
allow me to introduce you to the geography of the 26,000 square mile Navajo Nation
The only thing we're robbing Native Americans of is a free lunch. And often times, not even that.
Many of them (depending on the tribe) are free to do absolutely nothing, and get paid every month in order to do it. I think that MORE than qualifies for "reparations".
What's more, if any of them actually want to get a college education, guess what! They're all but guaranteed to get full scholarships since they're Native American. They can go to college for free, and not have to work their way through it. The catch? They actually have to DO it. That's the tough part.
When my tax money is paying someone to do nothing, and would pay for them to get an education if they actually bothered to go get it, and they still won't... I don't really feel very bad for them.
Oh, you're not stuck, you're just unable to let go of the onion rings.
While the theft of the term "liberal" by leftist anti-liberals did take place many decades ago, it is still a term that does not apply to them and should not be used to describe them.
A liberal is someone who believes in liberty and who pursues policies that create, expand, and protect liberty. A leftist is someone who believes in tyranny, and who pursues policies that create, expand and entrench tyranny.
When you allow the left to choose the terminology by which they will be described, you are hand them a victory. You don't call a child molester a "boy lover." You don't call a rapist a "persistent suitor." You don't call a terrorist a "freedom fighter." And you sure as hell don't call a leftist a "liberal." To do so tarnishes the good name of the men and women who have fought and died to bring the light of freedom into the world.
Muslim community leaders warn of backlash from tomorrow morning's terrorist attack.
It is 60 miles to the nearest town with net access.
So I will venture that town has fiber.
Fiber can be run close to 200 miles without a line amp.
A cpl of Asynchronous Xfer Mode cards for each end are a
few hundred bucks, and some older refurb Cisco gear and
your good to go.
An OC-3 in the town 60 miles away from the local
carrier will cost less than $10,000/mo. and give them
155 Mbps that they can hookup to a Squid Box to
use as caching mechanism to save on xmitting the
same data twice to two different hosts.
Local cable TV companies ran their fiber in aerial protected
cabling with a strength enhancing strand down the center.
When you consider how much aerial fiber the cable companies
ran in major cities, I'd say it is easily doable.
The Navajo should contract it out.
For 2.25 billion I dare say they could do their own Coop ISP
like some other ppl have done around the US.
http://www.coop.net/
And when they run it run multi-strand in case one fiber pair
has issues at some point in the future.
In fact I bet as a PR stunt Cisco would come out and profile
the whole setup for them.
Just my two cents...
google "32 trillion offshore needs IRS attention"
Hey man. You can't speak badly about the current administration here in America! We are FORWARD thinkers. Go on, with all your listed examples above, name one other country that has managed to put so many of the mentally disadvantaged into such prominent positions.
None?
America == Open.
We put our flaws out there for all the world to see. We don't see China lining the streets with mental midgets when the Olympics goes there but here, in the land where we're all equal, we'll parade 'em out to shake the hands of dignitaries from around the world.
Sorry, couldn't resist. It is almost time for these tired old bones to get some sleep.
I really wrote that so that I could say that that was an interesting post that you made. You should journal it some time so people can refer to it. Or wikipedia it as JD's Theorum or the likes.
"So long and thanks for all the fish."
"I'm getting some pretty severe packet loss."
"Oh, that's just the wind."
That's what happens all over the world.
And that's also a major cause of conflicts around the world, too.
We have similar issues here in NZ. It's about admitting wrong-doings and being diplomatic, rather than this antiquated notion of conquering other countries.
>deduce the internet connection from taxes
Pray tell, Watson, how would one do that?
The irish state was formed after a violent civil war and more rebellions/uprisings than I can count on both hands yet our police don't carry guns on the streets and the joke about our army is "Join the Irish army, see interesting places, get to know the other 2 guys."
A state formed through violence can be quite peaceful.
Australia was formed peacefully yet they get a fair whack of the FUD that americans get about terrorism.
Looking for nations that formed peacefully seems to be a problem since so few are formed that way and it's always debatable since often they came to be as a result of a larger conflict or the violence was limited to a handful of top politicians being bumped off.
Some of the countries which came into being when the soviet union fell apart were formed peacefully but are far from perfect when it comes to oppression/violence.
Worst. Poem. Ever.
what is religious about dinosaur skeletons.
One particular instance I remember was in the mid 90's.
They found one of the most in tact t-rex skeletons on indian land, worked out a deal with the tribe for millions, paid them, and extracted the skeleton.
after they go through the expense and time of, you know.. extracting, cleaning, cataloguing, and assembling the skeleton, here comes the tribe again wielding some assanine one-sided law. They tie the thing up in litigation, and "legally rob" the institution in question of the find in the end, selling it yet again.
How long before they try to play repo man again.
VLC FOR MAC IS DYING! IF YOU DEVELOP, PLEASE SAVE IT!!
You also forgot:
United States - founded by a combination of violent revolution and violent conquest.
You have alot of interesting stuff here, but off the beaten path of what is being asked I think.
What the Navajo Nation is needing is Tier 1 access, or in the alternative, as suggested by the article, become a Tier 1 provider. I think within the reservation, using high power (50W) access points upon hill and mountain tops to wirelessly distribute to the end points would actually be a worthwhile solution, close to what 802.11 was designed for, then link the access points wirelessly again with a point to multi point backbone as they should all have line of site of each other. Now it is just a matter of getting it connected to the net. And from the geographic location of the reservation, and them needing to be their own provider, a DS3 to San Jose and Dallas or Chicago to peer at the NAPS. I don't think the big boys will be anal about peering with their community at the NAPS like they are with peering with other for-profit providers.
I peered at the Ameritec NAP through most of the 90's in Chicago and was able to pass most of my traffic there, over 50%, as a for profit provider, so MCI/Sprint/UUNet wouldn't peer with our network, but would gladly sell transit over the NAP, which would give the Navajo the option if needed. Reading TFA doesn't make clear if the Navajo or the USAC budget is $2.25b/yr, but I'm going to assume the USAC budget is that, so what I've suggested and what the Navajo budget are still might be within the costs on an ongoing basis of what their contract with OnSat was costing, and much better service, but the initial hardware cost might be out of reach for them
Being a spelling & grammar Nazi is a sign you do not poses the intelligence to contribute to the conversation
The Navajo Nation is larger than a considerable number of states. It is sparsely populated. Many (most?) residences do not have landline telephone service, i.e., there is no landline for them to access. Wouldn't it be necessary to run cable to each of these homes and businesses and schools?
-- Slashdot: When Public Access TV Says "No"
2.25 billion is the budget for the entire USAC, which supports a whole lot more than just the Navajo's interwebs.
Chernobyl 'not a wildlife haven' - BBC News
By your, umm, logic, hardly anyone on the planet merits a description as a native resident. Unless you live somewhere near the Olduvai Gorge, your ancestors went walkabout.
The word "native" is typically applied to people who appear to be the first, i.e., original, inhabitants of a territory. Today's Indians are descendants of the first people to successfully settle in the Americas. How those folks got here is irrelevant.
-- Slashdot: When Public Access TV Says "No"
...we didn't NEED alternatives most of that time.
Yes we did, right from the very first time the pushers pulled this stunt. Maybe you didn't see the need, but I sure did and have worked around it since 1982, while you simply closed your eyes. I prepared in foresight, and I cannot care less about the price of gas. I was laughing in '73, and I'm laughing now. Congress has been doing this since I can remember. It is a regularly scheduled recess. And you all are just demanding for them to come back and secure you another fix. Quitcherbellyachin!!! And make tell your damn congress to do nothing more than make sure the alternatives have equal access to the market. Oh, and by the way, the same goes for internet access, create some alternative forms of access, and you'll be dictating the terms of service to the ISPs, instead of the other way around. And do it NOW before you start crying "woe with me" when you "need" to. The problem is as trivial as you make it.
What?
I owned an ISP in NorthEast Arizona, right up against the Navajo nation...we attempted to do business with them, but the tribal elders were very corrupt. They wanted a kickback on EVERY tower/user we added on their land. This is why no large ISPs, such as Time Warner, etc. will not even mess with them. They are a very good people, very nice, and very humble and at the same time very resourceful. They will figure something out, as long as they are forced to.
"My immediate reaction is "WTF? What kind of moron doesn't make things 64-bit safe to begin with?" Linus