The Chickasaw Nation is closing in on the final stretch of a multimillion-dollar broadband expansion that will bring fiber and fixed-wireless internet to rural communities across south-central Oklahoma. Crews have mostly wrapped up work on towers in parts of Carter County while fiber teams are stringing last-mile cable in Pontotoc County. The project is designed to connect thousands of tribal households that until now have gone without reliable high-speed service.
What's funded and who's paying
The effort is funded in part through the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program, a $3 billion initiative aimed at closing the digital divide on Tribal lands, according to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. The Chickasaw Nation received federal award money to underwrite the infrastructure work, and the grant has been combined with tribal funds and private partners to speed construction across the Nation’s 13-county service area.
Who's building it
Trace Fiber Networks, a wholly owned Chickasaw Nation subsidiary, is managing construction and will operate the new network, according to Trace Fiber Networks. The company has been expanding from middle-mile routes to fiber-to-the-home and business services and reports that the build is meant to support schools, clinics and local businesses as well as residences.
The rollout on the ground
In Carter County the project includes five fixed-wireless towers in Ratliff City, Healdton, Dickson, Lone Grove and Ardmore, and most tower construction is complete, according to The Journal Record. In Pontotoc County, Trace Fiber is partnering with People's Electric Cooperative to run fiber optic cable directly to individual homes, and crews are installing new steel poles that are designed to withstand extreme weather, the reporting notes. A January site visit included demonstrations of wireless signals and progress checks by Tribal and federal program officials.
How many homes will see service
Together, the Carter and Pontotoc components are slated to connect roughly 2,700 underserved tribal households. An award listing from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration for the Chickasaw Nation places the project's infrastructure award at about $50 million and lists a target of 2,784 households to be connected under the grant.
Why it matters locally
Tribal-owned builds give the Chickasaw Nation control over rollout priorities, pricing and long-term maintenance, and advocates say those advantages can speed adoption of telehealth, distance learning and remote work in places incumbents have overlooked. Industry coverage of Trace Fiber's earlier work shows the network already supports anchor institutions and business backhaul, creating a backbone for the next phase of residential service, as noted by the Fiber Broadband Association.
Project teams expect work to continue through the spring, with residents in Carter and Pontotoc counties receiving service offers as sections of the network go live. Tribal leaders say this build is part of a longer effort to bring reliable broadband to all of Chickasaw Country and could be expanded to reach additional surrounding households if demand and funding align.
