Funding Award Highlights

New Mexico Pilot Grant

The New Mexico Office of Broadband Access and Expansion launched New Mexico’s most ambitious broadband expansion initiative ever with the $120 million New Mexico Pilot Program. The office just announced the first five grant awards of $38.6 million, which will be matched by $28.3 million in nonstate funding for a total investment of $66.9 million. These grants plan to expand access to more than 13,400 homes, businesses, farms, ranches, and community institutions across New Mexico. 

Wave 1 Funding Awards Announced November 11, 2022
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  • Comcast Corporation
    P    hase 1: $16.52 mil ($8.26mil with 50% match
    Phase One: Anthony, Chamberino, La Mesa, Vado
    Phase 2: $17.67 mil ($8.84 with 50%match)
    Phase Two/Three: Chaparral, La Union, Santa Teresa, Sunland Park

  • Central New Mexico Electric Cooperative - $8.76 mil ($6.57mil with 25% match)
    Estancia, Mountainair

  • Ethos Broadband  $14.51 mil ($8.48 mil with 42% match)
    Truth or Consequences, Williamsburg

  • Socorro Electric Corporative $9.50 mil ($6.475mil with 32% match)
    Village of Magdalena​​

Connecting Minority Communities Pilot (CMC) - NTIA

  • New Mexico Highlands University (NMHU) in Las Vegas, New Mexico  $2,988,682.27
    ​New Mexico Highlands University (NMHU) in Las Vegas, New Mexico is one of Five Minority-Serving U.S. Colleges and Universities to be awarded just announced funding by the NTIA Connecting Minority Communities Pilot  Program (CMC). Highlands is to receive $2,988,682.27 for "Building Sustainable Technology and Equity Connected Communities through Youth and Adult Workforce Development: the Acequia and Land Grant Education" (ALGE).  The project will use digital technology to deliver a culturally responsive curriculum to underserved populations in Northern New Mexico (NMM), and culturally sustaining pedagogy to teachers of students in underserved populations. The CMC grants, directed by NTIA’s Office of Minority Broadband Initiatives, cover costs such as the purchase of high-speed Internet service and eligible equipment, the hiring and training of information technology personnel, and innovation and workforce development efforts.

Digital Navigators Award - NDIA

  • Pueblo of Jemez - included in NDIA Digital Navigators Award
    The grant is part of $10 million of support from Google.org, which will go toward hiring community-based digital navigators alongside programmatic and technical support to further develop NDIA’s digital navigator model for rural and Tribal communities. Digital navigators at the 18 selected sub-grantee organizations will help thousands of residents to gain much-needed access to the internet, devices, and digital skills training.  The grants, which total more than $6.6 million, are for two-and-a-half year periods and range between $320,540 and $389,840 each, depending on the need and proposal.  “These grants are about more than just funding. By launching the National Digital Navigator Corps, we are extending the digital navigator model to areas of the United States lacking resources,” said Angela Siefer, executive director of NDIA. “These digital navigators will open doors to thousands of residents to transform their lives by engaging in online opportunities, including education, workforce, citizen participation, and social activities.”  NDIA is partnering closely with AMERIND Critical Infrastructure to engage and support Tribal members of the National Digital Navigator Corps. Link

Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program - NTIA

Funding Awards Announced November 30, 2022
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  • Pueblo of San Ildefonso NM - Broadband Infrastructure Deployment $4,925,582.00 
    ​The Broadband Infrastructure Deployment project proposes to install fiber and fixed wireless to directly connect 255 unserved Native American households with qualifying broadband service with up to 1000 Mbps symmetrical speeds. 
Funding Awards Announced November 17, 2022
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  • Pueblo of Zia  NM -​ Broadband Infrastructure Deployment  $4,695,868.82  
    ​The Broadband Infrastructure Deployment project proposes to install fiber to directly connect 228 unserved Native American households and 13 unserved community anchor institutions with qualifying broadband service with up to 1Gbps symmetrical speeds. ​
Funding Awards Announced August 11, 2022

  • Jicarilla Apache Nation Power Authority NM - Broadband Infrastructure Deployment $6,935,801
    The Broadband Infrastructure Deployment project proposes to install fiber directly connecting 1,051 unserved Native American households, 116 unserved Native American businesses, and 25 community anchor institutions with fiber-to-the home 1Gbps/1Gbps service.

  • Mescalero Apache Telecom, Inc. NM - Broadband Infrastructure Deployment $43,943,116
    The Broadband Infrastructure Deployment project proposes to install fiber directly connecting 835 unserved Native American households, plus 336 businesses, and 29 community anchor institutions with fiber-to-the home and/or fixed wireless service up to 1Gbps/1Gbps.

  • Pueblo of Isleta NM - Broadband Infrastructure Deployment $26,033,972.74
    The Broadband Infrastructure Deployment project proposes to install fiber directly connecting 1,526 unserved Native American households, 54 community anchor institutions, and 10 businesses with fiber-to-the-home and/or fixed wireless to the home 25 Mbps/3Mbps service.

  • Santa Fe Indian School NM - Broadband Infrastructure Deployment $57,298,683.09
    The Broadband Infrastructure Deployment project proposes to install fiber connecting the 700 students in grades 7-12 from the 19 Pueblos, Navajo, and Apache Tribes of New Mexico, Zuni Tribe, Pueblo of Acoma, Pueblo of Isleta, Pueblo of Jemez, Pueblo of Santo Domingo, and the Pueblo of Zia with fiber-to-the-home 1 Gbps/1 Gbps service.  

  • Santo Domingo (Kewa) Pueblo NM - Broadband Infrastructure Deployment $12,775,576.64
    The Broadband Infrastructure Deployment project proposes to install fiber and connect wireless towers to directly connect 680 unserved Native American households with fiber-to-the-home and/or fixed wireless to the home 25 Mbps/3 Mbps service.
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ReConnect Program - USDA Rural Development

To be eligible for ReConnect Program funding, an applicant must serve an area where high-speed internet service speeds are lower than 100 megabits per second (Mbps) (download) and 20 Mbps (upload). The applicant must also commit to building facilities capable of providing high-speed internet service at speeds of 100 Mbps (download and upload) to every location in its proposed service area.  To learn more about investment resources for rural areas, visit www.rd.usda.gov or contact the nearest USDA Rural Development state office. ​

Funding Awards Announced November 2022
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  • Kit Carson Electric Cooperative Inc. (Rio Arriba County) $23.6 million
    for a network that connects 2,693 people, 42 businesses, 34 farms & 8 educational facilities to high-speed internet.

  • Leaco Rural Telephone Cooperative Inc. (Chaves and Lea Counties) $25 million
    to deploy a network to connect 2,970 people and 56 businesses to high-speed internet.

  • Western New Mexico Telephone Company Inc. (Catron, Grant and Hidalgo Counties) nearly $35 million
    to build a network that connects 678 people, 10 businesses and a farm to high-speed internet.

  • WNM Communications Corporation (Grant and Luna counties) $25 million
    for a network that connects 3,093 people, 30 businesses, five farms and four educational facilities to the internet. 
Funding Awards Announced July 2022​
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  • Continental Divide Electric Cooperative Inc. in Grants, New Mexico (Cibola and McKinley Counties)  $3,681,000
    is receiving $3,681,000 grant to deploy a fiber-to-the-premise (FTTP) network. This network will connect 606 people, eight businesses, 34 farms, and two public schools to high-speed internet in Cibola and McKinley counties. Continental Divide Electric Cooperative Inc. will make high-speed internet affordable by the Federal Communications Commission's Emergency Broadband Benefit Plan and Affordable Connectivity Plan. This project will serve the Laguna Pueblo, Acoma Pueblo, and Acoma Off-Reservation Trust Land tribal entities and the socially vulnerable communities of Cibola and McKinley counties.
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  • Eastern New Mexico Rural (E.N.M.R.) Telephone Cooperative (Chaves, Colfax, DeBaca, Guadalupe, Harding, Lincoln, San Miguel, Torrance, and Union Counties)  $14,749,747
    will receive a $14,749,747 grant to also deploy a fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) network. This network will connect 41 people, one business, and nine farms to high-speed internet in Chaves, Colfax, De Baca, Guadalupe, Harding, Lincoln, San Miguel, Socorro, Torrance, and Union counties in New Mexico. E.N.M.R. Telephone Cooperative will make high-speed internet affordable by offering price plans to subscribers that match the pricing offered to all other FTTP Cooperative members. All three plans will include free Wi-Fi service. This project will serve the socially vulnerable communities in the following counties: Colfax, De Baca, Guadalupe, San Miguel, and Socorro. 

  • Peñasco Valley Telecom (Chaves Eddy, Lincoln, and Otero Counties)  $28,927,570
    receiving $28,927,570 grant to expand its communications network to connect 2,976 people, 50 businesses, 13 farms, and 8 public schools to high-speed internet in Chaves, Eddy, Lincoln, and Otero Counties in New Mexico. This loan will serve the Socially Vulnerable Communities in the counties of Otero and Eddy.

  • Tularosa Basin Telephone Company Inc. (Lincoln and Otero Counties) $5,825,102
    is receiving a grant of $5,825,102 and a loan of $5,825,102 to provide new high-speed service to 466 people, 28 businesses and 16 farms in Lincoln and Otero counties. The telephone company will make high-speed internet affordable by participating in both the Federal Communication Commission's Lifeline Program and the Affordable Connectivity Program. The discounts provided by these programs will allow for qualifying households to receive service as low as $4.20 per month. This project will serve the Mescalero Reservation and the socially vulnerable community of Otero.

  • Valley Telephone Cooperative  (Hidalgo and Luna County) $44,924000
    provides telephone service to southeast Arizona and southwest New Mexico and is receiving a $44,924000 Telecommunications Infrastructure loan guarantee to provide expanded service to Hidalgo and Luna counties.  The money will be used to replace copper wire-based facilities with fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) facilities. A total of 1,317 miles of buried fiber-optic cable will be constructed and 2,755 optical network terminals will be installed along with all the necessary equipment needed to provide the upgraded service. This will result in improved broadband service to provide improved upload and download data rates for every subscriber, and in addition will enhance voice services.  
NM Broadband Equity Fund - New Mexico Broadband Collective
Groundworks New Mexico is hosting the New Mexico Broadband Collective, made up of a diverse group of funders, tribal, nonprofit, and government representatives across the state to support a statewide approach to ensuring that broadband services are available to all New Mexicans. Rural communities, Native communities, and other communities of color are most impacted by the lack of broadband connectivity. The Broadband Collective, which was established in March 2021, recognizes the necessity of a statewide approach to coordinate efforts to ensure all New Mexicans have access to broadband. ​The Broadband Collective comprises various workgroups focused on: providing funding and technical assistance to support community and regional efforts; ensuring there is equitable and effective use of technology statewide; engaging in advocacy; and coordinating federal and state broadband resources and opportunities.  The New Mexico Foundation is the home of  the New Mexico Broadband Equity Fund for the Broadband Collective. In June 2022, the Broadband Collective granted $355,000 to six organizations and tribes.

​https://www.newmexicofoundation.org/new-mexico-broadband-collective-fund

Funding Awards Announced June 2022
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  • Colores United (Luna County) $75,000
    To increase connectivity by amplifying Wifi at key locations in Colombus, New Mexico, such as the town library, city hall, senior center, Borderlands Café and other locations, over two years. The town of Columbus has a population of 1,600 residents, many of whom do not have access or reliable access to Wifi.

  • Picuris Pueblo (Taos County) $59,904
    To develop, install and operate high-speed broadband service that would be 100 percent owned and operated by the tribe. The pueblo has been closed since the COVID-19 pandemic begin, and many residents, especially tribal students, do not have access. The tribal utilities department will take the lead on this two-year project.

  • True Kids 1 (Taos County) $33,000
    For a “laptop library” and to train a “Student Squad,” comprised of students in Taos County schools on different operating systems and reduced and free internet service available to community members. The students will then training other senior citizens, families and community members.

  • Pueblo of Cochiti (Sandoval) $40,500
    To expand the pueblo’s IT department, which currently comprises two people; and the completion of fiber to homes of Cochiti Pueblo residents. The pueblo consists of approximately 1,800 residents, all of whom are served by a single T1 connection.

  • Pueblo of Laguna Utility Authority (Cibola County) $71,596
    To continue to expand the reach of broadband in the Laguna Pueblo community. The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a need for network upgrade, as the current system serves 500 tribal members.

  • Yee Ha’oolniidoo (San Juan and McKinely Counties) $75,000
    ​To primarily bridge the digital divide in the Navajo communities of Ramah and Sheep Springs. This grant will support a community planning process, broadband needs assessment and strategic plan.

Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program - NTIA & DOC
Department of Commerce

Funding Awards Announced Fall 2021 - Link

  • Taos Pueblo Planning, Feasibility, and Sustainability Studies (Taos County)  $477,817.00
Summary: This project will fund a comprehensive engineering analysis with respect to the technical design, market conditions and financial requirements of providing broadband services to its community.
Project Detail:  More info
https://broadbandusa.ntia.doc.gov/tribal-broadband-connectivity-program-awardees#taos
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