President Biden’s infrastructure plan includes an unprecedented $65 billion for broadband deployment...
A few homes have wired Internet connectivity, but the download speeds are incredibly slow-barely enough to watch a YouTube video.
For years, community members have pleaded with telecom companies to provide their tribe with better internet service.
"Our youth couldn't download the curriculum or even homework, so that was one of the main drivers of like, OK, we need the Internet as soon as possible," says Melvinjohn Ashue, a former member of the Hoh Tribe council.
The Hoh Tribe are participating in a beta test for an internet service provider called Starlink.
According to Musk, Starlink's goal is to beam high-speed internet from space, down to the most remote parts of the world.
In 2018, the Federal Communications Commission approved Starlink's plan to send 12,000 Starlink satellites into orbit.
In 2020 the company received nearly a billion dollars in taxpayer money through something called the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund-a federal program deployed during the pandemic to help connect rural parts of the country.
At least 10 percent of its $9 billion was not being used to serve rural America, instead going to densely populated urban areas-and even used on projects including airport parking lots and highway medians.
Identifying the mistakes made with the Rural fund will ideally ensure that taxpayer dollars are better spent going forward.
Even though space-based internet is getting a lot of attention right now, it remains unclear what role it will play in solving America's broadband problem.