Jessica E. Auer

Founded in 1974, the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) is a national research and technical assistance organization that constructs the foundation and frame upon which communities can take charge of their local resources, their economies, and their environmental future. Less than 60 percent of those living on Tribal lands in the lower 48 states have access to basic broadband connections. Native Nations have regularly - in formal and informal ways - been excluded from policy conversations about access to infrastructure, subsidies, digital skills, and a host of other issues needing solutions. The Tribal Broadband Policy Analyst will join ILSR’s Community Broadband Networks Initiative to conduct research and directly contribute to efforts to support the development of equitable Tribal Internet access.