The U.S. Department of Agriculture last week announced funding for Mescalero Apache Telecom, Inc. for the construction of broadband services in Southern NM.
USDA Rural Development State Director, Terry Brunner announced that $5.3 million would be made available for the construction of broadband services on the Mescalero Apache Tribal Lands in Southern New Mexico.
“This is a broadband loan to the Mescalero Apache Telephone Company, and they are going to get broadband service to about 800 homes in the Mescalero Apache Area,” says Brunner.
Brunner says that the services are going to help bridge the digital divide in the rural area.
“It’s going to give them internet speeds that are equivalent to what they may find in urban areas.”
Brunner says that the broadband services will provide a fiber optic system for specific areas, so consumers can have access to faster broadband speeds. He says the USDA also has other programs to help bridge the digital divide.
“We have a low-interest loan program for non-profit and public entities and cooperatives that are out there putting out broadband. We also have a grant program called “Community Connects” that entices providers to come in with grant funds to provide services where none exist at the moment,” says Brunner.
The $5.3 million loan to the Mescalero Apache Tribe is provided by the USDA Rural Development’s Rural Utility Service Telecommunications Loan Program and the Substantially Underserved Trust Authority (SUTA), which is designed to make funding more accessible to tribal governments.