Diego Lopez, Reporter
GRANTS, N.M. – In last week’s edition of the Cibola Citizen, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a partnership with Continental Divide Electric Cooperative. This announcement named CDEC as a recipient of funding to improve access to high-speed internet in Cibola, including to the Pueblos of Laguna and Acoma, this was incorrect. The funding comes from USDA’s Re- Connect program. After the story came out, the USDA put out a press release where they announced a mistake. Acoma Pueblo and Laguna Pueblo will not be receiving any money from this batch of USDA funding. The USDA uses a computer program to track rural utilities, in the process of mapping Cibola County, the agency accidentally included both Acoma and Laguna Pueblos in CDEC’s service area, they are not.
Even though they will not be receiving funding from this round, the USDA said it looks forward to working with the pueblos in the future to increase internet activity.
The Press Release
The following is the USDA’s press release, exactly as it was originally written.
NOTICE High-Speed Internet Access Announcement for Continental Divide Electric Cooperative Partially Inaccurate Acoma and Laguna Pueblos Are Not Included in Current Broadband Project ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., August 18, 2022, – In late July the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced Continental Divide Electric Cooperative (CDEC) was included as one of the recipients of funding to provide access to high speed internet in its service area through the agency’s Re-Connect program.
The announcement mistakenly included parts of Acoma Pueblo and Laguna Pueblo to receive broadband service from CDEC. The mistake was made by the Rural Utility Service (RUS) mapping tool. The tool inadvertently included both Pueblos to be included with this particular obligation made to CDEC. USDA Rural Development is looking forward to working with Continental Divide Electric Cooperative and Acoma Pueblo and Laguna Pueblo to bring high speed internet service to these communities in the future.