[1st-mile-nm] Sen. Heinrich introduces Tribal Connect Act

[Richard Lowenberg]

(From the Farmington Daily Times)

Heinrich: Connecting tribal communities to high-speed internet

U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, (D-N.M.)
Published 4:01 a.m. MT Dec. 8, 2017

http://www.daily-times.com/story/opinion/2017/12/08/heinrich-connecting-tribal-communities-high-speed-internet/932934001/

For some Americans today, logging on to the internet is as easy as going 
home and turning on the lights. Students can browse the internet and do 
their homework on their laptops or at local libraries. However, in parts 
of New Mexico, and especially in tribal communities, a lack of access to 
high-speed broadband internet connections is leaving far too many of our 
children unable to learn and compete on an even playing field.

An estimated 80 percent of New Mexicans who live in rural tribal lands 
still lack consistent access to high-speed broadband internet. We 
urgently need to provide the resources necessary to close this digital 
divide between tribal communities and the rest of the nation.

That’s why I introduced the bipartisan Tribal Connect Act this week with 
Senator Dean Heller (R-Nev.) to steer much-needed federal investments to 
tribal communities to ensure that every single child can access 
high-speed internet. The Tribal Connect Act will make sure funding and 
resources from the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Schools and 
Libraries Program—known as E-Rate— reach tribal communities that need 
help expanding high-speed internet access.

Over the last twenty years, the E-Rate program has provided billions of 
dollars of discounts to public schools and libraries across the nation 
to help them obtain high-speed internet access at affordable rates. 
Earlier this year, I hosted a listening session with members of the 
Pueblos of Cochiti, Jemez, Zia, Santa Ana, San Felipe, and Santo 
Domingo, who received support through this program to bring broadband 
connectivity to their communities through their tribal libraries.

The results were positive. Everett Chavez, Tribal Administrator of Santo 
Domingo, said, “Pueblo broadband availability and presence will bring 
about tremendous benefit to our rural tribal communities, and will 
provide critical impetus toward tribal community development 
initiatives.”

Unfortunately, the current application process and eligibility 
requirements for E-Rate funds do not reflect the unique challenges and 
needs in Indian Country, leading to complications for many tribes who 
try to apply for it. Although over 90 percent of public libraries 
throughout the nation have received these FCC funds to support improved 
internet access, the National Congress of American Indians estimates 
that only 15 percent of tribal libraries have received any of this 
critical funding.

The Tribal Connect Act will enable more tribal libraries to apply for 
E-Rate support. It will also establish a new pilot program at the FCC 
that will allow tribes who don’t have tribal libraries to designate 
another tribally-owned anchor institution such as a chapter house or 
community center as eligible to apply for support to provide broadband 
connectivity for students and members of the community.

We must do all we can to make sure all of our children, no matter where 
they live or go to school, can learn the skills they need to succeed in 
the 21st century. I remain committed to putting aside partisan politics 
in Washington to find ways to make forward-looking investments like this 
in New Mexico’s future.



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Richard Lowenberg, Executive Director
1st-Mile Institute     505-603-5200
Box 8001, Santa Fe, NM 87504,
rl at 1st-mile.org     www.1st-mile.org
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