[1st-mile-nm] Cuba, NM school district buys Starlink internet for students

[Kimball Sekaquaptewa]

Congratulations to Cuba students! As we all know, COVID-19 revealed the brutal fault lines of the digital divide especially on rural tribal lands. I have watched Superintendent Karen Sanchez-Griego look for and find so many creative strategies to help her families, including the bus deliveries that didn't just provide wi-fi but also device pickup and overnight charging for homes without electricity. I just want to say thank you, to her and her team for their leadership and endless hours dedication!
I also hope that the Starlink units and subscriptions were funded through FCC Emergency Connectivity Fund and that a sustainable funding stream for continued service will emerge or that families will have options to purchase affordable high speed sustainable internet for the long term.

Kimball Sekaquaptewa
Chief Technology Director
Santa Fe Indian School


On 12/30/21, 10:46 AM, "1st-mile-nm on behalf of John Brown" <1st-mile-nm-bounces at mailman.dcn.org on behalf of john at citylinkfiber.com> wrote:

    Makes me wonder about the $ 4+MILLION Sandoval County spent a number
    of years ago to build a Open Access microwave network.
    This was supposed to feed the community of Cuba, NM.
    To the best of my knowledge the network was never made "Open Access"
    and no ISP used the network to provide services.
    There is a microwave link that goes from Sandoval County Building up
    to Fire Station in Placitas, and then from there up to
    Cuba...

    I've asked Sandoval County several times about using this TAX PAYER
    FUNDED Open Access network only to receive
    no response..

    More waste in our state.   This Citizens in Cuba could have had a well
    running locally funded, locally employed, locally staffed
    network YEARS AGO.

    This isn't the first time our State Government (State, County, City)
    has WASTED MILLIONS and the citizens have nothing to
    show for it.  It also won't be the last time.


    On Thu, Dec 30, 2021 at 10:28 AM Richard Lowenberg <rl at 1st-mile.org> wrote:
    >
    > Rural New Mexico school district buys Starlink internet for students
    >
    > Associated Press Dec 29, 2021
    > https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.santafenewmexican.com%2Fap%2Frural-new-mexico-school-district-buys-starlink-internet-for-students%2Farticle_38dea62e-146d-5324-bbdc-b7b63acb1ddb.html&data=04%7C01%7Ckimball%40sfis.k12.nm.us%7C82dedc5bbf6b48f268ac08d9cbbc45b5%7C8652b09867e848e8a52b92c408b3e10d%7C0%7C0%7C637764831772552744%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=OFZn4WuEbkYJREerRoNbLG6kX8ZFpBVQfHyxQ3bZLGk%3D&reserved=0
    >
    > A school district in northwestern New Mexico is providing high-speed
    > internet to students' families, most of whom are Indigenous, in a $1.2
    > million deal that leapfrogs piecemeal efforts by state and tribal
    > officials.
    >
    > Cuba Independent Schools Superintendent Karen Sanchez-Griego said staff
    > began installing Starlink’s $500 receivers at students’ homes in
    > November and hope to connect all 450 families by the end of the school
    > year.
    >
    > Traditional fiber optic cables haven't been installed around Cuba
    > because of the area's sparse population, lack of money, and
    > crisscrossing red tape from tribal, federal and state agencies that have
    > to approve digging.
    >
    > New Mexico education officials were ordered by a court in April to
    > provide high-speed internet to students in Cuba and other areas but
    > haven't done so.
    >
    > Wi-Fi hotspots from the state didn't work well in remote areas far from
    > cellphone towers. Education officials are planning on purchasing
    > Starlink units for around 1,000 families around the state but haven't
    > specified a timeline for doing it.
    >
    > “Our kids can’t wait,” said Sanchez-Griego, adding that the investment
    > is funded by federal relief money that will eventually run out paying
    > for $100 monthly internet fees. “Our hope is that the state will come
    > through."
    >
    >
    >
    > ---------------------------------------------------------------
    > Richard Lowenberg, Executive Director
    > 1st-Mile Institute     505-603-5200
    > Box 8001, Santa Fe, NM 87504,
    > rl at 1st-mile.org     https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.1st-mile.org%2F&data=04%7C01%7Ckimball%40sfis.k12.nm.us%7C82dedc5bbf6b48f268ac08d9cbbc45b5%7C8652b09867e848e8a52b92c408b3e10d%7C0%7C0%7C637764831772552744%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=ieXoBJ4seNsrYJ%2FYuILuMmrOiBkXFRpgDolCr7n1Rdc%3D&reserved=0
    > ---------------------------------------------------------------
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    -- 
    Respectfully,

    John Brown, CISSP
    Managing Member, CityLink Telecommunications NM, LLC
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