County, Village and Pueblo receive funding to support internet deployment.
ALBUQUERQUE — Three rural and Tribal New Mexico communities are one step closer to high-speed internet access after the state awarded $300,000 in broadband planning grants to Jemez Springs, Doña Ana County and Santo Domingo Pueblo.
The grants were awarded through the New Mexico Office of Broadband Access and Expansion’s (OBAE) Grant Writing, Engineering, and Planning Program (GWEP).
“These awards will play a vital role in expanding broadband infrastructure in rural and Tribal areas. Future connectivity through this funding will transform lives as the state looks to close the digital divide,” said Neala Krueger, OBAE’s state grants senior program manager. “We are excited that more entities are using these planning grants to prepare for broadband deployment.”
The grants are specifically used for broadband deployment planning.
Doña Ana County will use its grant to:
- Produce shovel-ready engineering and planning deliverables for public Wi-Fi deployment at county-owned facilities.
- Assess connectivity options and create a plan to deploy public Wi-Fi to parks and recreational fields.
Jemez Springs will use its grant to:
- Study the feasibility of extending middle-mile fiber infrastructure along the southern 10-mile Highway 4 corridor.
- Initiate the engineering assessment and planning for Fiber-to-the-Premises infrastructure serving unserved and underserved residents, businesses, and municipal facilities.
Santo Domingo Pueblo will use its grant to:
- Accurately document existing fiber-optic lines and infrastructure to identify gaps in connectivity.
- Support the engineering and technical planning required to scale the Pueblo’s current Fiber-to-the-Home project, ensuring a seamless transition from current operations to an expanded footprint.
The state allocated $5 million to the GWEP program to help Tribes, local governments and cooperatives get grants to help them provide broadband to unserved locations.
OBAE has awarded GWEP grants to 18 Tribal communities, 17 local governments and four rural electric and telephone cooperatives. There is still $1 million available in GWEP grants, and OBAE encourages entities to apply. The maximum amount allowed for each award under this state program is $100,000, and there are no matching funds required.
GWEP awards must be used in the planning of infrastructure projects; internet service providers are not eligible. These grants are not competitive; they are considered assistance grants aimed at spurring broadband infrastructure projects.
Entities that have already received awards are entitled to receive a second award.
For more information and to apply for a GWEP grant, visit here.
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