EnerTribe, a Native American and woman-owned consulting firm specializing in telecommunications and infrastructure projects, and Tarana, manufacturer of the Gigabit 1 (G1) broadband platform, the first of its kind in next-generation fixed wireless access (ngFWA), today announced their partnership to enable the rapid deployment of reliable, high-speed internet in tribal communities across the United States.
EnerTribe serves as a resource for operators, value added resellers, and other organizations that provide essential services to tribal residents, governments, and enterprises. Their partnership with Tarana aims to provide their customers with tribal-focused go-to-market initiatives to deliver high-speed wireless broadband to indigenous communities throughout the country. Over the past 14 years, EnerTribe has successfully helped fund and manage over $450 million in similar projects, securing funding from dozens of state and federal agencies to improve infrastructure and services in tribal lands.
Tarana is the inventor of ngFWA, a groundbreaking technology category developed for fixed broadband that provides reliable, fiber-class internet service with network deployment times measured in weeks, as opposed to the years it takes to implement pure-fiber projects. Tarana’s G1 platform, which was launched commercially in late 2021, is currently in use in over 210 active operator networks across 19 countries.
EnerTribe selected G1 for its performance in challenging radio environments. Traditional fixed wireless solutions only work in line-of-sight (LoS) scenarios — failing if there are trees or buildings blocking the wireless connection — and are heavily influenced by spectrum availability. Backed by ngFWA technology, Tarana G1 works in both near- and non-line-of-sight (nLoS and NLoS) scenarios and in high-interference, unlicensed spectrum. These two industry-firsts set ngFWA apart from legacy fixed wireless and will allow EnerTribe to provide unprecedented service levels to their customers.
With G1, EnerTribe will assist the Round Valley Indian Tribes (RVIT) in deploying wireless infrastructure to provide improved broadband capacity and coverage in Covelo Valley, California. This upgraded internet connectivity will be crucial to the RVIT’s local health clinic and its many telehealth patients, as well as hundreds of residents. EnerTribe will also manage the engineering, procurement, and installation of Tarana G1 equipment for up to 200 other customers in the area.
Forest James, EnerTribe CEO, shared, “We are excited about our partnership and go-to-market strategy with Tarana. As a tribal member myself, I see the dramatic, positive impact that reliable broadband can have for the entire community, whether that is remote work, telehealth, education, or internet connectivity in general. The Tarana G1 product will enable EnerTribe to bring reliable, high-speed internet to the tribal communities that need it so crucially.”
Tarana President, Dirk Gates, added, “We are thrilled to be partnering with EnerTribe on such significant projects. EnerTribe’s focus on providing broadband and other essential infrastructure to indigenous communities is well-aligned with our mission to enable connectivity in un- and under-served regions. We are excited about the prospects for our partnership, which will expand quality internet access to the Round Valley Indian Tribes and beyond.”
About Tarana
Tarana’s mission is to accelerate the deployment of fast, affordable internet access around the world. Through a decade of R&D and more than $400M of investment, the Tarana team has created a unique next-generation fixed wireless access (ngFWA) technology instantiated in its first commercial platform, Gigabit 1 (G1). It delivers a game-changing advance in broadband economics in both mainstream and underserved markets, using either licensed or unlicensed spectrum. G1 started production in mid-2021 and has been embraced by more than 200 service providers globally. Tarana is headquartered in Milpitas, California, with additional research and development in Pune, India.