(Atmore, AL) – The Poarch Band of Creek Indians is excited to announce the recent completion of a high-speed internet solution delivered to areas of the Tribal reservation, located in rural South Alabama. These areas either previously lacked reliable service or had no connectivity options at all. The new network, installed by BearCom and managed by Escambia Community Utilities, represents a $5.5 million dollar investment made by the Tribe to further high-speed internet access.
“In the midst of the Covid pandemic, we were confronted with a startling realization – our rural community was light years behind in terms of connectivity. This revelation compelled us to take immediate action, recognizing the significance of addressing this issue in order to propel our community forward,” said Stephanie A. Bryan, Poarch Band of Creek Indians Chair and CEO. “Our primary objective with investing in high-speed internet solutions was to enhance our community’s capacity to learn, connect, and foster a technological future that would facilitate workforce development.”
The Tribe selected BearCom, a leading service provider for their experience in serving America’s Native American Tribes and commitment to offering extensive design, deployment, and consulting expertise. According to Mike Owen, Chief Technology Officer for BearCom, “For us, it is about helping communities overcome the digital divide, reach digital sovereignty, and enable their members with access to fundamental resources.”
The 4-month, $5.5 million dollar project provides approximately 38 square miles of coverage area and includes 11,040 feet of network cable, benefitting approximately 500 Tribal Citizens and the local community in their rural, South Alabama community. A telecommunication hub site is also part of the project that helps provide a seamless user experience of the private LTE system with unparalleled connectivity.
A ceremony commemorating the launch of the new service was recently held by the Tribe. For more information, visit pci-nsn.gov.
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About the Poarch Band of Creek Indians
The Poarch Band of Creek Indians is the only federally recognized tribe in Alabama. From hospitality to aerospace, we continue to operate in a variety of industries across the World. Read more about our Tribe here.
About BearCom
BearCom has been providing industry-leading expertise in designing, deploying, and supporting voice, video, and data systems throughout the U.S. for more than 40 years. By creating custom end-to-end solutions, Bearcom is an Amazon premier partner for AWS Private 5G service implementations to deploy, manage, and scale a Private LTE Network. With over 75 offices and 1100 employees across North America (including 350+ in the Technical Services Group), BearCom designs and delivers high-performance Private LTE solutions that boost operating efficiency and increase safety across all industries.