Bishop Paiute Tribe

What Bishop Paiute Tribe does

The Bishop Paiute Tribe is a federally recognized sovereign tribal nation headquartered at 50 Tu Su Lane, Bishop, California, at the foot of the Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains. It is the fifth-largest tribe in California by enrollment, with more than 2,000 enrolled members, and is governed by an elected Tribal Council currently led by Interim Chairwoman Emma Williams, with Meryl Picard (Treasurer/Secretary), Jeff Romero (Vice-Chairman), Steven Orihuela, and Dale "Chad" Delgado as council members. The organization operates as a diversified tribal enterprise, with wholly owned subsidiaries including Wanaaha Casino (gaming and hospitality), Bishop Paiute Development Corporation (economic development), Bishop Paiute Tribal Radio Station KBPT 96.1 (broadcasting), Owens Valley Indian Water Commission (water rights), Paiute Gaming Commission (regulatory), and the Owens Valley Paiute Shoshone Cultural Center (cultural preservation). It also delivers public services across departments such as Education, Environmental, Social Services, Head Start, Historic Preservation, TERO, Tribal Police, and Public Works.

The tribe's core technology product is the Tribal Fiber Broadband Service, launched in April 2026 when the tribe became the first community to connect to California's Middle-Mile Broadband Network (MMBN) — a 423-mile high-capacity fiber backbone running from Barstow to Reno along Highway 395, delivered via a $0 contract with the California Department of Technology under the state's $3.2 billion Middle-Mile Broadband Initiative (SB 156, 2021). The service is built on dormant fiber infrastructure the state acquired and upgraded to create an open-access backbone serving rural and Tribal communities in the Eastern Sierra Nevada region. Customers connect at the middle-mile layer at no wholesale cost; the tribe independently operates as the last-mile Internet Service Provider with full authority over retail pricing, service tiers, and product offerings.

The business model combines sovereign-tribal-government revenue (intergovernmental funding, member services, grants) with diversified commercial enterprise (gaming/hospitality at Wanaaha Casino, development corporation activities, radio broadcasting) and now subscription-broadband revenue. Broadband is sold to households both on and off the reservation on a monthly subscription basis, with pricing set by the tribe and all margin retained — a direct-to-consumer ISP model administered in-house with no third-party ISP intermediary. Wholly owned subsidiaries are governed and operated by the Tribal Council and its appointed boards, and the tribe has no parent company. The organization employs 101–250 people, is actively recruiting C-suite executive roles as of mid-2026, and markets its programs through its website, Facebook, Instagram, and monthly tribal newsletters.

Name

Bishop Paiute Tribe

Legal name

Bishop Paiute Tribe

Website

https://bishoppaiutetribe.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Bishop Paiute Tribe is a federally recognized sovereign tribal nation in Bishop, California, with 2,000+ enrolled members, operating as an independent ISP on California's Middle-Mile Broadband Network alongside tribal enterprises in gaming, broadcasting, and economic development.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tribal Broadband and Government Services

NAICS

American Indian and Alaska Native Tribal Governments (921150), American Indian and Alaska Native Tribal Governments (92115)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

Tribal/First Nations Casino Operations (MPAEAAAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Indigenous/Tribal Education Authorities & Boards (EDADABAM)

Keywords

• Tribal broadband services
• Sovereign tribal governance
• Tribal casino operations
• Rural internet service
• Tribal community programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Bishop

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Broadband Service Sales: The tribe acts as its own Internet Service Provider, setting pricing and retaining profits from selling broadband services to households on and off the reservation. The tribe signed a $0 contract with the California Department of Technology for access to the middle-mile network infrastructure.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Bishop Paiute Tribe operates as a federally recognized sovereign tribal nation providing broadband internet service as its own independent ISP to the Bishop Paiute Reservation and surrounding Eastern Sierra Nevada communities. The Tribe also operates the Wanaaha Casino, KBPT 96.1 tribal radio station, and the Bishop Paiute Development Corporation, while delivering tribal governance programs, education, environmental stewardship, elder care, and family formation services to community members.

Product overview

The Bishop Paiute Tribe operates as a sovereign tribal nation with a diversified portfolio of tribal enterprises and public services. The core technology product is their Tribal Fiber Broadband Service, where the tribe serves as its own independent Internet Service Provider connected to California's Middle-Mile Broadband Network. Supporting commercial enterprises include Wanaaha Casino, Bishop Paiute Development Corporation, and KBPT 96.1 Tribal Radio Station. The tribe also provides extensive social programs including education, environmental protection, family services, elder care, head start, historic preservation, social services, and public safety through various tribal departments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Wanaaha Casino: Tribal casino and hospitality enterprise operated by the Bishop Paiute Tribe.
• Bishop Paiute Development Corporation

Products and services

• Tribal Fiber Broadband Service

Quantifiable outcome

• 423 miles of high-capacity fiber infrastructure connecting the community
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered flagship.

• California Department of TechnologyflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 April 2026The Bishop Paiute Tribe signed a $0 contract with the California Department of Technology, becoming the first customer of California's Middle-Mile Broadband Network. The partnership allows the tribe to connect to the 423-mile fiber segment running from Barstow to Reno along Highway 395. The tribe independently manages and operates its broadband service, including pricing and offerings, retaining profits from sales to its community.
• State of CaliforniaflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 April 2026California's $3.2 billion Middle-Mile Broadband Initiative (MMBI) selected the Bishop Paiute Tribe as its first customer. Governor Gavin Newsom participated in the switch-on ceremony. The state acquired and upgraded dormant fiber infrastructure to create a high-capacity backbone serving rural and Tribal communities throughout the Eastern Sierra Nevada region.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hoopa Valley Tribe: California tribal nation that operates its own public utility district and broadband/telecom service (HoopaConnect), making it the most directly comparable tribe-as-ISP model to Bishop Paiute Tribe's Middle-Mile Broadband Network deployment.
• Navajo Tribal Utility Authority (NTUA): Navajo Nation-owned utility that delivers electricity, water, and telecom/broadband services to tribal members across a vast rural footprint; the most scaled precedent of a sovereign tribal nation operating a telecommunications utility directly comparable to Bishop Paiute's ISP function.
• Gila River Telecommunications: Gila River Indian Community's broadband and telecom arm delivering fiber and wireless service to tribal and surrounding communities; directly comparable as another sovereign-tribe ISP operating in a rural region with similar infrastructure-underserved dynamics.
• Coeur d'Alene Tribe: Federally recognized tribe that operates its own utilities and has invested in tribal broadband infrastructure, paralleling Bishop Paiute's sovereign-network model in service of a rural, sovereign community.

Broad incumbents

• Seminole Tribe of Florida: Large diversified sovereign tribal enterprise anchored by Seminole Hard Rock gaming plus hospitality, real estate, and other holdings; comparable as a benchmark for how a major tribe operates multiple revenue-generating businesses under sovereign status.
• Cherokee Nation Businesses: Diversified holding company of the Cherokee Nation spanning hospitality, gaming, aerospace, and federal services; useful comparator for understanding how a sovereign tribe scales a multi-enterprise portfolio beyond its core programs.
• Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation: Connecticut-based sovereign tribal nation operating Foxwoods Resort Casino and a portfolio of tribal enterprises; relevant as a comparable for the gaming-and-diversified-enterprise model that also funds tribal broadband and self-sufficiency initiatives.
• San Manuel Band of Mission Indians: California-based sovereign tribal nation operating Yaamava Resort & Casino and a diversified enterprise portfolio; comparable as another California tribal nation of similar sovereign commercial scale pursuing self-sufficiency across multiple businesses.
• Morongo Band of Mission Indians: California-based sovereign tribal nation operating Morongo Casino Resort and several non-gaming enterprises; directly comparable as a California tribe using diversified enterprises to fund tribal sovereignty and community programs.

Regional players

• Table Mountain Rancheria: Smaller California-based tribal nation operating Table Mountain Casino and related enterprises in the Central Valley; comparable as a same-state, similarly-sized tribal government that runs a gaming-led enterprise portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/bishoppaiutetribe
• Instagraminstagram.com/bishoppaiutetribe

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bishop Paiute Tribe