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Biden Administration Awards More Than $146 Million to Expand High-Speed Internet Access on Tribal Land in New Mexico

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 

August 11, 2022

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The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced over $146 million in funds awarded from the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 to tribal entities New Mexico today during an Internet for All press call with Vice President Kamala Harris. The awards will provide 5 tribal entities with funds for high-speed internet projects through the Internet for All initiative’s Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program.  

“Tribal lands have been called the least connected places in America. The Biden-Harris Administration will change that,” said Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. “These grants are just the beginning. President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure law has given us the resources to provide transformative infrastructure to Native communities, bringing new economic and educational opportunities while enabling Tribes to preserve their cultural identity and traditions.” 

The Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program is part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Internet for All initiative, which made $980 million available from the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information Alan Davidson recently added an additional $1 billion from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to the current Notice of Funding Opportunity. A funding opportunity for the remaining $1 billion from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will be announced in the fall.  

On Monday, NTIA announced over $51 million in awards to Tribes in the state of Alaska, the awards today are another tranche of this vital funding. NTIA intends to continue to make awards throughout the summer and fall of this year in order to get these resources to communities in need.  

NTIA has now made a total of 51 awards totaling more than $290 million in funding through the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program. These awards are part of the Biden Administration’s commitment to nation-to-nation engagement and an effort to connect everyone in America, including American Indians and Alaskan Natives, with affordable, reliable, high-speed internet.    

President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, also known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, provides a historic $65 billion investment to expand high-speed internet in communities across the U.S. NTIA recently launched a series of new high-speed internet grant programs funded by the law that will build high-speed internet infrastructure across the country, create more low-cost high-speed internet service options, and address the digital equity and inclusion needs in our communities.  

For more information on the Biden-Harris Administration’s high-speed internet programs as well as quotes from the awardees, please visit InternetforAll.gov.   

Applicant Location Type of Project Funding Amount Brief Description
Jicarilla Apache Nation Power Authority NM Broadband Infrastructure Deployment $6,935,801.00 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 $43,943,116.00 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.