Tribe receives $10.5 million broadband grant

The St. Regis Mohawk Tribe has been awarded $10.5 million for a broadband initiative to improve its communication system. The application is funded for two components: infrastructure, ($10.5 million) and public computer centers ($642 thousand). The $10.5 grant from U.S. Department Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service’s Broadband Initiatives Program will fund the infrastructure. The U.S. Dept. Commerce National Telecommunications and Information Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) will fund the computer centers.

“We are very excited to have this stimulus funding opportunity. We have received an award notification for the last (BTOP) component of the Tribe’s application,” remarked Jamie Bay, Assistant Executive Director of the tribe. “This will be an additional $642 thousand. In total, the Tribe is looking at $11.1 million in funding for its three-year project.”

Part of the proposal calls for five computer centers within Akwesasne. They will be located at the Akwesasne Boys and Girls Club, the library/museum, the Senior’s Center, the casino administrative building and the Akwesasne Employment Resource Center. The computer centers will host distance learning opportunities and a variety of public accessible training programs. They are designed to increase community members’ digital literacy.

The Tribe will install a 68-mile fiber optic network linking it to existing fiber networks to the east and west creating a state-wide network and potentially throughout Canada. Online resources will also allow the Tribe to develop public safety and law enforcement training for other Tribal communities.

The system will benefit the Tribal Health Clinic by providing the technology for telemedicine and long-distance consultations with regional hospitals. Educational institutions will expand their use of SMART board technology, an interactive whiteboard and equipment within the classrooms. It will also provide teleconferencing capacity for community organizations and allow the Tribe to promote language immersion programs and cultural preservation.

“This technology benefits our community at all levels by creating jobs locally, spurring economic development, providing our community with connectivity. It will also provide multiple options for phone, internet and cable TV services at more affordable rates. This will enhance our community’s sovereign ability to do more for ourselves in the future,” noted Mr. Bay. “We expect that this initiative will create hundreds of jobs during the first five years.” The Tribe will begin construction on this system during the summer of 2011 and complete the project in phases over the three-year life of the grants.