[1st-mile-nm] NTIA Award to ENMR

[Richard Lowenberg]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, February 24, 2010

News Media Contact:
Jessica Schafer, 202-482-5670, press at ntia.doc.gov

SECRETARY LOCKE ANNOUNCES RECOVERY ACT INVESTMENT IN NEW MEXICO AND TEXAS
TO EXPAND BROADBAND INTERNET ACCESS AND SPUR ECONOMIC GROWTH

WASHINGTON ? U.S. Commerce Secretary Locke today, joined by Senator Jeff
Bingaman, Senator Tom Udall and former New Mexico Governor Toney Anaya on a
press conference call, announced a $11.2 million Recovery Act investment to
help bridge the technological divide, boost economic growth, create jobs, and
improve education and healthcare in eastern New Mexico and west Texas. The
grant will bring high-speed Internet access to more than 200 community anchor
institutions ? including schools, public safety organizations, healthcare
facilities, and government agencies ? and lay the groundwork for bringing
affordable broadband service to thousands of homes and businesses in the
region.

The investment will allow the ENMR Telephone Cooperative, Inc., which does
business as ENMR-Plateau, to enhance broadband Internet capabilities in eastern
New Mexico and west Texas by providing a more than 1,600-mile ring of fiber.
Among other benefits, the project plans to expand distance learning
opportunities for students at schools and libraries in rural areas and enable
connectivity to a telehealth network being constructed across New Mexico,
Arizona, Utah and Colorado.

?This critical investment will expand high-speed Internet service access to
New Mexico schools and hospitals, and eventually homes and businesses, helping
to make them full participants in today?s 21stcentury information economy,?
Locke said. ?Having access to the Internet?s economic, health and
educational benefits will help to improve the quality of life in these
communities.?

The Department of Commerce?s National Telecommunications and Information
Administration?s (NTIA) Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP),
funded by the Recovery Act, provides grants to support the deployment of
broadband infrastructure, enhance and expand public computer centers, and
encourage sustainable adoption of broadband service.
?This $11.2 million grant to ENMR Telephone Cooperative will make it possible
to build miles of new fiber-optic lines, which will benefit businesses,
schools, libraries, public safety entities, and help advance the telehealth
network being developed across New Mexico,? said Bingaman. ?This grant is
good news for eastern New Mexico, as well as for our entire state.?

?Over the last 10 years, America has gone from being a world leader in
Internet penetration to now lagging in that effort, and as a state, New Mexico
sadly falls towards the bottom of that list,? said Udall, a member of the
Senate Commerce Committee. ?I am proud this Recovery award will help develop
the needed broadband infrastructure in New Mexico that will help enable
teleheath services, distance learning programs and attract future businesses
and jobs to our state.?

"This is great news for eastern New Mexico,? said Anaya, executive director of
the New Mexico Office of Recovery and Reinvestment. ?The Recovery Act
continues to invest in New Mexico's communities, employing thousands,
rebuilding our infrastructure, and supporting the state budget.?

New Mexico Representatives Martin Heinrich, Ben Ray Luján and Harry Teague also
praised today?s award.
?The world of information technology is vast, and vital to education and job
opportunities in New Mexico,? said Heinrich. ?By connecting New Mexicans
with improved access to the Internet, we open the door to endless possibilities
for learning and inspiring entrepreneurship and economic growth, which are key
components of the Recovery Act.?

"As we become increasingly dependent on Internet technology for our everyday
activities, we must ensure that all communities have access. Extending
broadband throughout New Mexico will help our businesses grow, our children
learn, and our communities stay informed," said Luján. "It is encouraging that
the Recovery Act is making this important investment in broadband technology.?

?For many communities in my district, access to broadband is a luxury ? and
often times that means they have to miss out on critical educational and
economic opportunities,? said Teague. ?These Recovery funds will help give
rural communities in New Mexico the same opportunities that their more urban
counterparts currently enjoy by providing the resources needed to build local
economies and job opportunities across the region.?

NTIA received more than 1,800 applications proposing projects totaling nearly
$19 billion during the first BTOP funding round and is currently awarding
grants on a rolling basis.  NTIA is currently accepting BTOP applications
through March 15, 2010 for a second round of funding.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provided a total of $7.2 billion to
NTIA and the Department of Agriculture?s Rural Utilities Service (RUS) to
fund projects that will expand access to and adoption of broadband services. Of
that funding, NTIA will utilize $4.7 billion for grants to deploy broadband
infrastructure in the United States, expand public computer center capacity,
and encourage sustainable adoption of broadband service. NTIA will announce all
grant awards by September 30, 2010.


-- 
Richard Lowenberg
1st-Mile Institute
P.O. Box 8001, Santa Fe, NM 87504
505-989-9110;   505-603-5200 cell
rl at 1st-mile.com  www.1st-mile.com

----------------------------------------------------------------
This message was sent using IMP, the Internet Messaging Program.