State Broadband Capacity Building:

With this project, the New Mexico Department of Information Technology (NMDOIT) will build on the framework created by the New Mexico Integrated Strategic Broadband Initiative in 2008. The funding will support reorganization and expansion of statewide broadband capacity building by developing subcommittees for the following areas: infrastructure, technical planning, applications, legislation, education, governance, tribal issues, and broadband providers. In addition, NMDOIT will hold public forums and an annual conference.

Technical Assistance:

With this funding, NMDOIT plans to catalogue all broadband and technology training programs located within the state and then identify areas that lack training resources in order to improve planning. NMDOIT will also provide direct technical assistance to tribes to facilitate their participation in the broadband mapping project and to improve their internal geographic information system capacity.

Data Collection, Integration, and Validation:

This project was originally funded for broadband planning activities and two years of data collection. In September of 2010, this project was amended to extend data collection activities for an additional three years and to identify and implement best practices.