New Mexico Broadband Collective awards $355,000 in grants
Aug. 9—The year-old New Mexico Broadband Collective has awarded its inaugural grants totaling $355,000 to six New Mexico entities to address connectivity challenges in their communities to access broadband internet service.
The recipients are Picuris Pueblo and True Kids 1 in Taos County; the Pueblo of Cochiti in Sandoval County; Colores United in Luna County; the Pueblo of Laguna Utility Authority in Cibola County; and Yee Ha'oolniidoo in San Juan and McKinley counties.
The New Mexico Broadband Collective was established in March 2021 to support a statewide approach to ensure broadband services for all New Mexicans and is focusing on rural and Native American communities. The collective reported about 196,000 homes and businesses in New Mexico do not have broadband service.
The inaugural grants were funded by the Los Alamos National Laboratory Foundation, Microsoft Corp. in partnership with Purdue University, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the Con Alma Health Foundation, the New Mexico Foundation's Vecinos Fund, the First National Bank Texas, Wells Fargo Bank and individual donors.
The New Mexico Foundation is managing the grant process, and Groundworks New Mexico is providing administrate support for the New Mexico Broadband Collective.
