North Central New Mexico Economic Development District

Regional Economic Development Initiative (REDI Net)

Areas of rural north central New Mexico rely significantly on dial-up service, and much of the region lacks affordable, high-bandwidth network services for community anchor institutions and small businesses. The North Central New Mexico Economic Development District’s REDI Net project plans to deploy a middle-mile fiber optic broadband network across the counties of Rio Arriba, Los Alamos, and northern Santa Fe, and to five Native American tribal communities. The project proposes to enable distance learning and advanced technology applications at schools and community colleges, and promote energy efficiency by enabling “smart grid” applications for regional rural electric cooperatives. REDI Net plans to utilize the network to provide support for locally based businesses, especially in the technology, media, and renewable energy industries. The project also intends to offer higher levels of security and reliability for public safety and telemedicine in the region.

Total Award: 
$10565792
BTOP In Action
REDI Net crew members deploy new fiber.

The North Central New Mexico Economic Development District deployed a total of 142 miles of fiber through June 2013. The Regional Economic Development Initiative (REDI Net) is deploying fiber-optic cable to improve broadband connectivity across Rio Arriba, Los Alamos, and northern Santa Fe counties, as well as four Native American tribal communities. The network will connect and provide increased access with speeds upwards of 100 Mbps to approximately 115 community anchor institutions through local service providers, including rural healthcare providers, schools, public safety institutions, and higher education institutions. REDI Net has already signed agreements with three service providers, and helped to drive economic development in this primarily rural area by providing opportunities for access to businesses and households. More than 100 community anchor institutions are benefitting from improved broadband speeds and services.

Reports and Documents
Award Documents