NTUA Wireless Announces Several Unprecedented Service Enhancements to Support the Navajo Nation’s Telecommunications Needs During the COVID-19 Pandemic with Many Becoming Permanent


CHINLE, Ariz., April 22, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The NTUA Wireless (d.b.a. Choice NTUA Wireless) announces several aggressive and unprecedented service enhancements to support the telecommunications needs of the Navajo People during the COVID-19 pandemic and intends to make many of these enhancements permanent.

The permanent offers include Unlimited Nationwide Calling and Data for Tribal Lifeline Customers. Additionally, all currently sold rate plans (including Tribal Lifeline) come with the same minutes and data off the Nation as on the Nation.  Customers on currently sold rate plans will see these changes take effect at the start of their next payment cycle while customers on older rate plans may request a rate plan change to the new plan that best meets their needs.

“NTUA Wireless was created with the vision that one day it would become the preferred telecommunications provider for the Navajo people and will continue to meet the telecommunications needs of the region,” said Walter W. Haase, General Manager of NTUA and Board member of NTUAW.  “Now that our people will be able to utilize their phones for unlimited voice and data no matter where they travel, in the United States, that vision will become a reality. This is a tremendous step to strengthen the telecommunications needs of the region. These enhancements are an indication that we are moving forward in the right direction,” said Haase. NTUA is the majority owner of NTUA Wireless and the Navajo people are the majority owners through NTUA.

In addition to these service enhancements, NTUAW has introduced a discounted Broadband Plan for K-12 and college Students and Teachers. This was done to help the many thousands of students on the Nation complete their online course work because of the shutdown of schools. Also, NTUAW has deployed three free Wireless Hot Spots for students to access their online course work. Equipment is on order to deploy at least fifteen more Wireless Hot Spots that will be placed strategically around the Nation. “Our students, businesses, and many others need the tools to continue to be productive during these unprecedented times and the efforts of NTUA & NTUAW to provide additional Broadband services will definitely help students to advance their education and help our Navajo entrepreneurs,” said Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez. “We thank our Navajo-owned companies for stepping-up at a time when our Nation needs them most. We greatly appreciate this great initiative.”

“With so many people either working from home or students remotely accessing their classwork, there is unprecedented demand for usage of our networks,” said Clyde F. Casciato, General Manager of NTUAW. “To accommodate this demand, we have taken a number of steps to bolster our network such as  in Tuba City, where we have installed a 600MHZ overlay to our existing network that has tripled  our capacity, and elsewhere in our network where we have received a Special Temporary Authority (STA) from the FCC to utilize the unused 700MHZ spectrum on the Nation.  We are looking to urgently deploy many of these enhancements that we hope will satisfy our customers’ desire for increased speeds on the Nation.”

For more, please go to choice-wireless.com

Media Contact:
Clyde F. Casciato (610) 551-1603
ccasciato@ntuaw.com