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Sierra County Broadband Updates

flyer

March 2021

 

Broadband Service Making Contacts for Right of Way Permissions

 

Sacred Wind Communications has named its broadband service in Sierra county Ethos Broadband.  Representatives are contacting property owners in Sierra county to get right-of-way permissions to move forward with the project.  For more information, open the Ethos Broadband flyer or view the picture above.

 

December 2020

 

Broadband Interest Contact Information

If you are a Sierra County resident and you would like to contact Sacred Wind to show interest in receiving service, you may call during business hours to leave your name, address, phone number and email so they can call you when they are ready to start pre-selling the area. The number is 833-650-0480, toll free. 

October 2020

NM Delegation Hails Over $20 Million in Funding to Connect Over 1400 Rural Homes, Farms and Businesses with Broadband Internet Across Seven Counties

 

NM Delegation helped secure new grants from USDA’s ReConnect Program to increase service

 

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), along with U.S. Representatives Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Deb Haaland (D-N.M.) and Xochitl Torres Small (D-N.M.) applauded over $20 million in rural broadband grants to four New Mexico telecommunications utilities that will connect over 1400 rural households in Sierra, Lea, Chaves, Eddy, Lincoln, Otero and Cibola counties with high-speed broadband internet. The New Mexico delegation supported SWCT and Sierra Electric Cooperative (SEC)’s funding application to install broadband infrastructure in an area where 75 percent of the Sierra county population reports lack of access to high-speed broadband services. 

 

The funding is part of the ReConnect program that the New Mexico delegation worked to incorporate in Congress’s FY2020 funding package to improve rural broadband access for unserved and underserved areas across the country. The public-private partnerships and utilities receiving funding will help bridge the digital divide for over 1400 rural homes, businesses, farms, post offices and fire stations across seven New Mexico Counties.

 

“Broadband internet is more important than ever for rural and Tribal communities in New Mexico as we do our part to slow the spread of coronavirus,” said Udall, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Agriculture Subcommittee overseeing funding for USDA.“This grant funding for rural utilities will connect thousands of New Mexicans in rural communities with high-speed internet access. I worked to increase dedicated funding for rural broadband in government funding bills and the CARES Act. I will continue to fight every day to bridge the digital divide for New Mexico communities and Tribes so that no one is left behind in today’s information-based economy.”

 

“Now more than ever, it is critical that rural and tribal communities in New Mexico have access to broadband services so that they can connect to educational, health, and career-related resources,” said Heinrich. “That is why I have led the charge on legislation that eliminates regulatory burdens and invests in infrastructure necessary to access high-speed broadband. This funding will help New Mexico businesses and communities access the internet, and I will continue fighting for broadband access across our state.”

 

“COVID-19 has shone a light on the need to address the digital divide in New Mexico. Without the same access to telework, distance learning, telemedicine, and more, New Mexicans living in our rural, Tribal, and underserved communities have been hit especially hard during this pandemic,” said Luján. “That’s why I’m pleased to announce this critical investment from the USDA ReConnect program to connect thousands of New Mexicans to high-speed internet, and it’s why I’ll continue to make access to affordable broadband one of my top priorities in Congress.”

 

“The internet is a basic necessity, but thousands of New Mexicans in rural areas lack access to broadband internet,” said Haaland, the lead author of the Broadband for All Resolution. “Now more than ever, we need our communities to stay safe, healthy, and connected. Thanks to this rural broadband grant, Sierra County can develop fast, reliable, long-lasting infrastructure so that rural New Mexicans have access to online business opportunities, virtual classes, offices, and healthcare.”

 

“Good, reliable internet is crucial for communities across New Mexico. It connects small businesses to critical resources, provides a lifeline for patients relying on telehealth for medical care, and helps students continue their education during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, underinvestment in our communities continues to leave rural New Mexicans without the high-quality service they need. I’ve been at work with the Delegation and with our providers to ensure our most rural areas have the necessary infrastructure to increase service, and I’m proud to share this grant will connect over 1,400 households, farms, community institutions, and businesses in the district,” said Torres Small.

 

A breakdown of the $20 million in funding is below:

- SWC Telesolutions Inc. will use a $6.1 million ReConnect grant to deploy a fiber-to-the- premises network to connect 1,630 people, 31 businesses, nine farms, five fire stations and two post offices to high-speed broadband internet in Sierra County, New Mexico. The New Mexico delegation supported SWCT and Sierra Electric Cooperative (SEC)’s funding application to install broadband infrastructure in an area where 75 percent of the Sierra county population reports lack of access to high-speed broadband services.

- Leaco Rural Telephone Cooperative Inc. will use a $4.5 million ReConnect grant to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to connect 170 people, 29 farms and five businesses to high-speed broadband internet in Eddy, Chaves and Lea counties in New Mexico.

- Penasco Valley Telephone Cooperative Inc. will use a $8.1 million ReConnect loan to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to connect 1,173 people, seven farms, six businesses, three fire stations and a post office to high-speed broadband internet in Chaves, Lincoln, Eddy and Otero counties in New Mexico.

- Continental Divide Electric Cooperative Inc. will use a $1.1 million ReConnect grant to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to connect 85 people, four farms and a business to high-speed broadband internet in Cibola County, New Mexico.

 

###

 

Contacts: Ned Adriance (Udall) 202.228.6870 / Whitney Potter (Heinrich) 202.228.1578 / Adán Serna (Luján) 202.225.6190 / Felicia Salazar (Haaland) 202.981.1594 / Paloma Perez (Torres Small) 202.225.7890

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Statement of Non-Discrimination

In accordance with Federal civil rights laws and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs).  Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible Agency or USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.  Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html and at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form.  To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992.  Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:

1. Mail:  US Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410

2. Fax:  (202) 690-7442; or

3. Email: program.intake@usda.gov

Sierra Electric Cooperative, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer

 

©2023 Sierra Electric Cooperative. A Touchstone Energy Cooperative.

  • Consumer-Member Info
    • The Co-op
    • Membership
      • Residential Rights and Responsibilities
      • Bill Payment
        • Information for Members Experiencing Financial Hardship
      • Understanding your Bill
      • Capital Credits
      • By-Laws
      • Paperless Billing
      • Energy Efficiency Rebates
      • Operation Round Up
      • Co-op Connections
      • Budget Payment Plan
      • New Mexico Public Regulation Commission
    • Together We Save
    • Electric Vehicles
  • Outage Center
    • Reporting an Outage
    • Outage Safety & Tips
  • Service
    • Start, Stop, or Transfer Service
    • Rates, Fees & Charges
    • Solar & Net Metering
    • Surge Protection Device
    • Safety
  • Co-op Community
    • Youth & Education Programs
      • Government-in-Action Youth Tour
      • Safety Coloring Contest
      • Sierra Electric Cooperative Education Foundation & Scholarships
      • Safety Education Programs
  • Announcements & Forms
    • Quick Forms
    • Job Openings
    • Sierra County Broadband Updates