High-speed Internet access to get $11.2 million federal boost in New Mexico and Texas
FEBRUARY 24, 2010 -- Eastern New Mexico and West Texas will receive $11.2 million in federal Recovery Act money to bring high-speed Internet access to more than 200 community anchor institutions, Commerce Secretary Gary Locke announced today.
The money will go to schools, public safety organizations, health care facilities, and government agencies, as well as 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.
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.
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.