tribalgeo
North Dakota / AIANNHCE 3935 / Federally-recognized area

Spirit Lake

The full tribal profile includes the report map, demographic tables, broadband tables, FCC provider sections, and interactive charts.

94.6%25/3 availability
85.8%100/20 availability
0.0%1000/100 availability
6Fixed providers
FargoBismarckGrand ForksTribal boundary detail47.9009°N, 98.8703°W389.64 sq mi
Figure 1. Location of Spirit Lake within North Dakota, with boundary detail (inset).

About the Tribal Area

Spans about 390 square miles of land plus roughly 9.8 square miles of water in North Dakota, Spirit Lake Reservation serves as the core reservation for this federally recognized tribe. FCC BDC records show 6 fixed providers and 3 mobile providers across roughly 1,863 service locations, with current availability of 94.6% at 25/3 Mbps, 85.8% at 100/20, and 85.7% at 1000/100.

Tribal Area Description

Located in North Dakota, Spirit Lake is a federally recognized tribe with tribal lands. The land base is relevant for broadband planning due to rural service coverage and middle-mile access constraints.

Website Summary: www.spiritlakenation.com

The Spirit Lake website provides information about tribal government, community services, and local resources. The site includes sections on Central Repository Project, Community Nourishment, Departments, Early Childhood Tracking, and Emergency Management. The homepage currently emphasizes practical information and community updates more than a long historical overview.

Table 1. Demographics

Indicator201920202021202220232024
Population4,4654,4824,0964,0423,8373,835
Households1,1931,2051,0329769841,099
Median age24.325.424.123.223.224.1
Male / Female50.5% / 49.5%49.7% / 50.3%50.5% / 49.5%51.2% / 48.8%51.5% / 48.5%51.7% / 48.3%
Avg. household size3.733.713.964.123.893.48
Pop. density (per sq mi)11.511.510.510.49.89.8
HH density (per sq mi)3.13.12.62.52.52.8

Table 2. Economic & Education

Indicator201920202021202220232024
Median household income$35,054$37,991$43,824$57,500$66,250$52,708
Per capita income$15,122$16,578$16,813$19,329$21,175$23,184
Poverty rate43.8%42.3%38.9%33.9%26.0%30.9%
Unemployment rate8.6%5.1%3.9%1.7%1.3%4.7%
HS diploma or higher58.4%60.6%63.7%64.2%67.8%65.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher11.3%12.6%15.8%16.9%20.7%21.3%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates. Queried by AIANNHCE code. Population and household density are calculated from Census population or households divided by land area in square miles.

Table 3. Download/Upload Speeds (Mbps)

PeriodDownloadUpload
2019Q129.9 Mbps27.9 Mbps
2019Q227.0 Mbps24.2 Mbps
2019Q325.7 Mbps18.8 Mbps
2019Q429.8 Mbps30.1 Mbps
2020Q142.7 Mbps39.6 Mbps
2020Q250.9 Mbps49.4 Mbps
2020Q362.1 Mbps73.1 Mbps
2020Q469.4 Mbps69.4 Mbps
2021Q189.2 Mbps83.8 Mbps
2021Q246.2 Mbps42.4 Mbps
2021Q3105.2 Mbps91.7 Mbps
2021Q4163.0 Mbps144.6 Mbps
2022Q1181.1 Mbps157.8 Mbps
2022Q2122.9 Mbps113.6 Mbps
2022Q3124.7 Mbps108.8 Mbps
2022Q4112.5 Mbps107.9 Mbps
2023Q1156.9 Mbps168.9 Mbps
2023Q2116.8 Mbps93.9 Mbps
2023Q3172.5 Mbps154.0 Mbps
2023Q4178.9 Mbps183.2 Mbps
2024Q1249.3 Mbps233.2 Mbps
2024Q2191.3 Mbps168.1 Mbps
2024Q3175.3 Mbps135.5 Mbps

Table 4. Coverage by Tier (%)

Year25/3100/201 Gbps
20155.8%5.4%5.4%
20166.4%6.4%6.4%
201713.5%13.5%13.5%
201858.4%58.4%58.4%
2019100.0%100.0%100.0%
2020100.0%100.0%100.0%
2021100.0%100.0%100.0%
2022100.0%100.0%100.0%
2023100.0%100.0%100.0%
202494.6%85.8%0.0%

Table 5. Adoption (%)

YearAll householdsLow-income households
201733.5%16.3%
201835.6%22.5%
201934.8%24.6%
202044.6%31.4%
202151.6%32.9%
202266.3%48.9%
202371.5%59.3%
202470.7%64.5%

Table 6. Current Status (2024, %)

TierCoverage
25/3 Mbps94.6%
100/20 Mbps85.8%
1 Gbps0.0%

Table 7. Comparison with National Averages (%)

MetricTribalNational
25/3 Mbps94.6%92%
100/20 Mbps85.8%85%
Adoption70.7%78%

Sources: FCC Broadband Data Collection, Ookla Open Data Initiative, and U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates. National benchmarks are carried over from the report comparison section.

Figure 2. Speed Trends (2019–2024)

Figure 3. Availability (2015–2025)

Figure 4. Adoption (2017–2024)

Figure 5. Current Status (2024)

Figure 6. Comparison with National Averages

Figure 7. Fixed Coverage by Technology (25/3 Mbps)

Figure 8. Mobile Area Coverage

Notes: speed trends reflect quarterly mean throughput. Availability shows the share of population with access. Tooltips on the charts expose the underlying values for each series.

Table 8. Broadband Provider Summary

MetricValue
Fixed broadband providers6
Mobile broadband providers3
Broadband serviceable locations1,863

Table 9. Broadband Providers

FixedMobile
AT&T Inc.AT&T Inc.
T-Mobile USA, Inc.T-Mobile USA, Inc.
EchoStar CorporationVerizon Communications Inc.
North Dakota Telephone Company
Verizon Communications Inc.
Space Exploration Technologies Corp.

Table 10. Fixed Coverage by Technology (% of locations)

Technology25/3100/20250/251 Gbps
Any Technology100.0%100.0%100.0%100.0%
Fiber100.0%100.0%100.0%100.0%
Cable0.0%0.0%0.0%0.0%
Fixed Wireless9.3%4.5%0.0%0.0%
Copper (DSL)0.0%0.0%0.0%0.0%
Satellite100.0%100.0%100.0%0.0%

Table 11. Mobile Coverage (% of area)

TechnologyCoverage
4G LTE99.1%
5G-NR (Speed Tier 1)92.6%
5G-NR (Speed Tier 2)82.5%
Total area (sq mi)987.282

Table 8. Coverage by Tier and Technology (% of locations)

Dec. 2022
Technology2/210/125/3100/20250/251000/100
All Fixed Wireless34.10.50.50.00.00.0
All Satellite100.0100.0100.0100.00.00.0
All Wired73.573.573.573.573.573.5
All Wired and Licensed Fixed Wireless80.573.873.873.573.573.5
Any Technology100.0100.0100.0100.073.573.5
Any Terrestrial80.573.873.873.573.573.5
Cable0.00.00.00.00.00.0
Cable/Fiber73.573.573.573.573.573.5
Copper0.00.00.00.00.00.0
Fiber73.573.573.573.573.573.5
GSO Satellite100.0100.0100.00.00.00.0
Licensed Fixed Wireless34.10.50.50.00.00.0
NGSO Satellite100.0100.0100.0100.00.00.0
Other0.00.00.00.00.00.0
Unlicensed Fixed Wireless0.00.00.00.00.00.0
June 2023
Technology2/210/125/3100/20250/251000/100
All Fixed Wireless6.12.32.30.00.00.0
All Satellite100.0100.0100.0100.00.00.0
All Wired90.090.090.090.090.090.0
All Wired and Licensed Fixed Wireless90.090.090.090.090.090.0
Any Technology100.0100.0100.0100.090.090.0
Any Terrestrial90.090.090.090.090.090.0
Cable0.00.00.00.00.00.0
Cable/Fiber90.090.090.090.090.090.0
Copper0.00.00.00.00.00.0
Fiber90.090.090.090.090.090.0
GSO Satellite99.999.999.90.00.00.0
Licensed Fixed Wireless6.12.32.30.00.00.0
NGSO Satellite100.0100.0100.0100.00.00.0
Other0.00.00.00.00.00.0
Unlicensed Fixed Wireless0.00.00.00.00.00.0
Dec. 2023
Technology2/210/125/3100/20250/251000/100
All Fixed Wireless13.16.56.50.10.00.0
All Satellite100.0100.0100.0100.00.00.0
All Wired100.0100.0100.0100.0100.0100.0
All Wired and Licensed Fixed Wireless100.0100.0100.0100.0100.0100.0
Any Technology100.0100.0100.0100.0100.0100.0
Any Terrestrial100.0100.0100.0100.0100.0100.0
Cable0.00.00.00.00.00.0
Cable/Fiber100.0100.0100.0100.0100.0100.0
Copper0.00.00.00.00.00.0
Fiber100.0100.0100.0100.0100.0100.0
GSO Satellite100.0100.0100.00.00.00.0
Licensed Fixed Wireless13.16.56.50.10.00.0
NGSO Satellite100.0100.0100.0100.00.00.0
Other0.00.00.00.00.00.0
Unlicensed Fixed Wireless0.00.00.00.00.00.0
June 2024
Technology2/210/125/3100/20250/251000/100
All Fixed Wireless11.15.65.61.40.00.0
All Satellite100.0100.0100.0100.00.00.0
All Wired88.388.388.388.388.388.3
All Wired and Licensed Fixed Wireless88.388.388.388.388.388.3
Any Technology100.0100.0100.0100.088.388.3
Any Terrestrial88.388.388.388.388.388.3
Cable0.00.00.00.00.00.0
Cable/Fiber88.388.388.388.388.388.3
Copper0.00.00.00.00.00.0
Fiber88.388.388.388.388.388.3
GSO Satellite55.455.455.40.00.00.0
Licensed Fixed Wireless11.15.65.61.40.00.0
NGSO Satellite100.0100.0100.0100.00.00.0
Other0.00.00.00.00.00.0
Unlicensed Fixed Wireless0.00.00.00.00.00.0
Dec. 2024
Technology2/210/125/3100/20250/251000/100
All Fixed Wireless17.114.814.85.90.00.0
All Satellite100.0100.0100.0100.00.00.0
All Wired87.387.387.387.387.387.3
All Wired and Licensed Fixed Wireless87.487.487.487.487.387.3
Any Technology100.0100.0100.0100.087.387.3
Any Terrestrial87.487.487.487.487.387.3
Cable0.00.00.00.00.00.0
Cable/Fiber87.387.387.387.387.387.3
Copper0.00.00.00.00.00.0
Fiber87.387.387.387.387.387.3
GSO Satellite100.0100.0100.00.00.00.0
Licensed Fixed Wireless17.114.814.85.90.00.0
NGSO Satellite100.0100.0100.0100.00.00.0
Other0.00.00.00.00.00.0
Unlicensed Fixed Wireless0.00.00.00.00.00.0
June 2025
Technology2/210/125/3100/20250/251000/100
All Fixed Wireless13.39.39.34.50.00.0
All Satellite100.0100.0100.0100.0100.00.0
All Wired100.0100.0100.0100.0100.0100.0
All Wired and Licensed Fixed Wireless100.0100.0100.0100.0100.0100.0
Any Technology100.0100.0100.0100.0100.0100.0
Any Terrestrial100.0100.0100.0100.0100.0100.0
Cable0.00.00.00.00.00.0
Cable/Fiber100.0100.0100.0100.0100.0100.0
Copper0.00.00.00.00.00.0
Fiber100.0100.0100.0100.0100.0100.0
GSO Satellite100.0100.0100.00.00.00.0
Licensed Fixed Wireless13.39.39.34.50.00.0
NGSO Satellite100.0100.0100.0100.0100.00.0
Other0.00.00.00.00.00.0
Unlicensed Fixed Wireless0.00.00.00.00.00.0

FCC Broadband Data Collection (BDC), June 2025 filing vintage. Coverage values show the share of residential broadband serviceable locations by technology and speed tier across D22, J23, D23, J24, D24, and J25 filings.

Source: FCC Broadband Data Collection (BDC), June 2025 Filing (J25). Fixed coverage shows the share of residential broadband serviceable locations, and mobile coverage shows the share of tribal land area.