Continental Divide Electric Cooperative, a Grants-based electric co-op, has plans for a $4.4 million project to provide broadband to residents of the Pueblo of Zuni.
The move could make conducting business online easier as well as make the pueblo a more sensible place for businesses. Initial speeds could reach up to one gigabit for homes.
Lack of dependable internet connection may impede economic development, which often hinges on available infrastructure. And in a world where work-from-home and virtual schooling are commonplace, being able to reliably connect with peers can be crucial.
“I know we’ve had discussions with various, I guess, businesses that were considering coming onto the reservation… but it seemed like, you know, [internet] was one of the barriers we encountered,” Zuni Governor Val Panteah told Business First in an interview.
Of course, having faster internet could also be beneficial for entrepreneurs and businesses already located there.
Continental Divide said it will fund the project in part with a $3.23 million grant from the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission. Furthermore, the Pueblo of Zuni is providing financial support with money from the American Rescue Plan Act for the project, according to Continental Divide.
If all goes to plan, the first broadband connections could be made this summer and the project completed by the end of 2022. Continental Divide has not yet assigned a contractor for the project, according to William Dixon, telecommunications manager for the co-op.
About 2,200 households and businesses will have fiberoptic service, and the tribal government will pay a discounted price for three years of internet service for Zuni residents, according to Continental Divide.
The Pueblo of Zuni in eastern New Mexico is located about 50 miles from interstate 40.
Continental Divide said it first brought fiber-optic connection to Zuni in 2020 with a project that allowed Zuni Public School District facilities to up their internet speed.
“Effectively, today’s digital divide will be permanently bridged with modern fiber-optic technology to virtually every Zuni residence,” Continental Divide CEO Robert Castillo said in a statement.
