The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced today it has awarded a grant to the Pueblo of Acoma in New Mexico- as part of the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program (TBCP).
“The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to closing the digital divide across all Tribal communities,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “ This grant from President Biden’s Internet for All initiative will directly connect unserved Tribal households and community anchor institutions to affordable, reliable, high-speed Internet service. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator Alan Davidson announced the awards today at NTIA’s Tribal Broadband Leaders Network Summit in Chandler, Arizona. “Tribal communities often face high barriers to Internet adoption that hinder their ability to thrive in the modern digital economy,” said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information Alan Davidson. “Today’s grants to the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe and the Pueblo of Acoma will reduce these barriers for more than 1,500 Tribal households, connecting them to economic and educational opportunities that many of us take for granted.” This award is part of the Biden Administration’s commitment to nation-to-nation engagement and an effort to connect everyone in America, including Native Americans and Alaskan Natives, to affordable, reliable, high-speed Internet service. The Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program is a nearly $3 billion grant program and part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Internet for All Initiative. The funds are made available from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law ($2 billion) and the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 ($980 million). The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides a historic $65 billion in funding to connect everyone in America. President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is growing the American economy from the bottom up and middle-out – from expanding access to high-speed Internet service, to rebuilding our nation’s roads and bridges, to building a clean energy economy that makes our communities more resilient to the impacts of climate change, to creating a manufacturing and innovation boom powered by good-paying jobs that don’t require a four-year degree. https://www.internetforall.gov/news-media/biden-harris-administration-announces-more-257-million-high-speed-internet-grants-tribal
0 Comments
New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham helped kick off New Mexico Broadband Day at the Roundhouse on February 15th with an exciting Announcement. The Office of Broadband Access and Expansion (OBAE) Director Kelly Schlegel and the Governor unveiled the Governor's official Proclamation declaring the Month of March as "Connect New Mexico Month." Visit www.ConnectNewMexico.org to learn more and register for the mailing list.
February 15, 2023, has been designated as New Mexico Broadband Day at the Roundhouse! Tables in the East and West Wings will showcase broadband resources and projects and educational information with the public from 9am to 2pm. A Press Conference in the Rotunda is scheduled for 9am and presentations featuring highlights from across the state will take place in the Rotunda from 12 noon to 1pm. The monthly Connect New Mexico Council meeting will begin at 2pm followed by a New Mexico Broadband Day Reception from 4-8pm at OBAE Director Kelly Schlegel's home in Las Campanas. To learn more, visit www.ConnectNewMexico.org/Broadband-Day.
Check out the article about this exciting project linking pueblos to broadband internet by Margaret O'Hara published Jan 17, 2023 in the Santa Fe New Mexican.
"Taven Vallo, a 17-year old senior at the Santa Fe Indian School, spent his second year of high school working late into the night. After that day in March 2020, when a loudspeaker announcement told students COVID-19 necessitated an early spring break, Taven returned to the Pueblo of Acoma for online schooling — without much internet access at home. His household, including an elementary school-age sister trying to succeed in online learning and his mother pursuing a master’s degree at the University of New Mexico while working remotely, relied on a single Wi-Fi hot spot, the size of a smartphone. The hot spot could only manage about three users at a time, so Taven took the night shift, completing his school work from 10 p.m. to the early hours of the morning, around 2 or 3 a.m. Then, he was up at 6 a.m. to start a new school day. School administrators, tribal leaders and other organizations are working to better connect students like Taven and rural, tribal communities to reliable internet access, officials involved told U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich on Tuesday during a visit to the Santa Fe campus. It’s called the Santa Fe Indian School Pueblo Education Network, said Kimball Sekaquaptewa, SFIS’ chief technology officer. By late 2025, the hope is, it will connect American Indian communities from Santa Fe to the Zuni Reservation to fiber-optic internet access." https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/education/project-linking-pueblos-to-broadband-internet-well-underway/article_81d0544a-9210-11ed-983a-4fa4ad39be46.html New Mexico Broadband Director Kelly Schlegel and National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Senior Advisor Barbara Cottam will discuss the anticipated impact of federal Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) funding in local communities throughout New Mexico. The state recently receiving $5,740,534.91 in funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, signed by President Biden, to plan for the deployment and adoption of affordable, equitable, and reliable high-speed Internet service throughout the state.
Federal and state officials will be joined by representatives of Teeniors, a local program that pairs tech-savvy-teens with seniors to provide coaching and support for access and meaningful use of digital technology. Also participating will be Catherine Nicolaou, Broadband Program Manager for the City of Albuquerque. WHEN: Tuesday, January 10, 2023 at 1:00 PM WHERE: International District Library 7601 Central Avenue NE Albuquerque, NM 87108 Contact: Erin Thompson, Assistant to Kelly Schlegel, Broadband Director Phone (505)795-0737 Email Erin.Thompson@doit.nm.gov 12/15/2022 Two More New Mexico Tribes Receive Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program (TBCP) AwardsRead NowThe Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced on Dec. 16 that it has awarded nine more grants as part of the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program (TBCP).
https://www.internetforall.gov/news-media/biden-harris-administration-announces-more-403-million-high-speed-internet-grants-tribal Picuris Pueblo Indian Tribe, NM Broadband Infrastructure Deployment $3,742,991.00 The Broadband Infrastructure Deployment project proposes to install fiber directly connecting 79 unserved Native American households, 15 Tribal offices, 2 Tribal businesses, and 3 community anchor institutions with qualifying broadband service with up to 1Gbps symmetrical speeds. Pueblo of Santa Clara, NM Broadband Infrastructure Deployment $9,175,946.00 The Broadband Infrastructure Deployment project proposes to install fiber directly connecting 600 unserved Native American households with fiber to the home service of 1 Gbps symmetrical and 50/10 Mbps wireless service. December 13, 2022
U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Chair of the Subcommittee on Communications, Media and Broadband, will convene a subcommittee hearing titled “Ensuring Solutions to Meet America’s Broadband Needs” on Tuesday, December 13, 2022, at 10 a.m. ET. Millions of Americans live in rural, Tribal and low-income urban areas that do not have access to affordable broadband. Congress has provided support for fixed and mobile broadband, including through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). New federal support for broadband access, affordability and inclusion will bring us closer to closing the digital divide and achieving digital equity. This hearing will examine ongoing and past efforts within the public and private sectors to bring affordable, resilient and secure broadband to all communities. Witnesses:
Subcommittee on Communications, Media, and Broadband Tuesday, December 13, 2022 10 a.m. ET Committee Hearing Room, Russell 253 WATCH LIVE STREAM: www.commerce.senate.gov Due to current limited access to the Capitol complex, the general public is encouraged to view this hearing via the live stream. If you are having trouble viewing this hearing, please try the following steps:
Testimony
12/8/2022 US Treasury Announces Two Additional Capital Projects Fund Awards to Increase Access to Affordable, High-Speed Internet in Colorado and New MexicoRead Nowhttps://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy1152
Colorado and New Mexico are approved to receive approximately $288 million under the American Rescue Plan and will connect nearly 60,000 homes and businesses to affordable, high-speed internet. New Mexico is approved to receive $117 million for broadband infrastructure, which the state estimates will connect an estimated 40,611 households and businesses – representing 21% of locations still lacking high-speed internet access. New Mexico’s award will fund the Connect New Mexico Broadband grant program, a competitive grant program that is designed to build broadband infrastructure to areas of the state without access to reliable wireline service. The Connect New Mexico Broadband program /is also designed to provide internet service with speeds of 100/100 Mbps symmetrical to households and businesses upon project completion. Each of the internet service providers funded by the program will participate in the FCC’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) – a $30 per month subsidy for qualifying households. The plan submitted to Treasury and being approved today represents 88% of the state’s total allocation under the CPF program. New Mexico submitted plans for the remainder of their CPF funds and these applications are currently under review by Treasury. U.S Senator Luján invites local government leaders, staff and partners from throughout New Mexico to the first of his Broadband for New Mexico Webinar Series. This first virtual event is aimed at supporting local government as essential partners for broadband. This webinar will be an introduction to what counties and municipalities need to know to meaningfully participate in broadband and digital inclusion efforts and connect their communities to high speed internet. Speakers will include U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján, the National Telecommunications Information Administration (NTIA), the National Association of Counties (NACO), the New Mexico Office of Broadband Access and Expansion (OBAE), New Mexico Counties, the New Mexico Municipal League, as well as local broadband leaders.
Please join us for this special opportunity to hear from and ask questions to federal, state and local officials by registering in advance and spreading the word with others who might benefit from this webinar. For more information or if you have questions, do not hesitate to contact Melanie Goodman at (575) 520-6492. YOU MAY REGISTER HERE 12/1/2022 Next Century Cities and City of Albuquerque Host "Building Broadband Together" EventRead Now
|
Details
AuthorUpdates from the New Mexico Office of Broadband Access and Expansion (OBAE) with Input from communities, broadband advocates, and stakeholders around the state. Archives
October 2023
Categories |