Tribes are some of the least connected communities in the United States. The lack of broadband availability is especially acute on tribal lands. In the Navajo Nation, over half of Navajo chapters lack any broadband access.

Research demonstrates that the people of the Navajo Nation suffer from a lack of reliable internet access, with a disproportionate lack of broadband infrastructure and slower, more expensive service where there actually are options.

The market is characterized by slow, outdated, and expensive service plans. "internet service in the Navajo Nation is on average $21.70 to $44.01 more expensive than elsewhere in the country, making it unaffordable for many living on Navajo land whose incomes are at or under the poverty level.

The federal government has failed to adequately support and fund tribes, despite its responsibility for many of the problems that ail tribes today. This includes the issue of lack of access to telecommunications services.

Altogether, the federal government’s failure to connect people on tribal lands deprives entire tribes of opportunities for employment, healthcare, education, and economic growth in both the short and long-term.

A major reason for the huge disparity in speed of internet service advertised in the Navajo Nation and service advertised throughout the rest of the United States is that the internet infrastructure available on Navajo land is outdated.

The census prematurely stopped counting on tribal lands in 2020. The census undercounts means "that tribal members get a fraction of the federal money they are owed for the next 10 years.