- Details
- By Chez Oxendine
- Economic Development
The Havasupai Tribe has begun construction on a $7 million broadband project that will extend communications infrastructure across the Havasupai Reservation, from the rim of the Grand Canyon to Supai Village and tourism sites farther down the canyon.
The project is funded through the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program and comes after nearly eight years of planning, environmental review and federal coordination.
Tribal officials said the groundbreaking launches the first of three phases, beginning with emergency communications infrastructure inside the canyon. The network will connect tribal facilities on the mesa, including Bar 4, the Hilltop helicopter landing area and trailhead, before extending eight miles down the canyon to Supai Village. Future phases will require completion of remaining environmental reviews and final authorization from NTIA.
The tribe plans to provide service to 102 homes, 33 anchor institutions and one small business. The buildout will extend farther down the canyon to the campground, Mooney Falls and Beaver Falls, where ranger stations support tourism and emergency response.
“Our goal is to have emergency communications for the rangers, for the tribal departments, and for the tourists,” said Ophelia Watahomigie‑Corliss, the tribe’s TBCP program director.
Tribal officials said the expanded network will help address past incidents involving hikers, heat exposure and flash flooding.
Watahomigie-Corliss said improved emergency communications are particularly important because tourism is a key source of revenue for the tribe.
The tribe hasn’t sought other financing for the project and expects the $7 million grant to cover the full buildout, Watahomigie‑Corliss said. The project is scheduled for completion by October 2027, when the grant expires.
Chairwoman Melinda Yaiva said the project represents an investment in future generations, describing broadband as “a pathway to education, healthcare, public safety, economic opportunity, and cultural revitalization.”
