Two more Tribal communities awarded grants in New Mexico

"Two Tribal communities in New Mexico - the Santa Clara Pueblo in Rio Arriba County and the Fort Sill Chiricahua Warm Springs Apache Tribe in Luna County - each received a maximum $100,000 planning grants from the state's Grant Writing, Engineering and Planning Program (GWEP). GWEP is funded and administered by The New Mexico Office of Broadband Access and Expansion (OBAE), which has provided $5 million in funding. GWEP helps Tribes, local governments and cooperatives win grants to bring broadband to unserved areas."

"The Santa Clara Pueblo will use the grant to develop a three-phase broadband project to build a fiber line from the intersection of state Routes 84 and 285 and state Route 399 to the end of state Route 399. It will provide services to homes and Wi-Fi service for safety and security along trails around the Pueblo-owned Black Mesa Golf Club."

"Fort Sill Chiricahua Warm Springs Apache Tribe's grant will help start design and engineering for a broadband network to bring internet to the homeland, which is in the southern part of the state. The funding will pay for detailed engineering plans to overcome physical barriers that have prevented connectivity. The Tribe has already secured $500,000 in infrastructure funding for fiber, equipment, and trenching."

Two New Mexico Tribal communities each received $100,000 planning grants through the Grant Writing, Engineering and Planning Program (GWEP). GWEP is funded and administered by the New Mexico Office of Broadband Access and Expansion (OBAE) with $5 million in funding to help Tribes, local governments, and cooperatives win broadband grants. Santa Clara Pueblo will use its grant for a three-phase fiber project along state Routes 84/285 and 399, serving homes and providing Wi-Fi for safety around Black Mesa Golf Club. Fort Sill Chiricahua Warm Springs Apache Tribe will fund design and detailed engineering to overcome physical barriers; the Tribe already secured $500,000 for infrastructure. OBAE has issued 36 GWEP awards totaling $3.5 million across Tribal communities, local governments, and cooperatives, with almost $1.5 million in planning grants remaining.

Read at Telecompetitor