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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) –
"Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller and city officials held a press conference on Thursday to provide updates on the local coronavirus response and also unveiled a new plan that provides free, high-speed wireless internet to local students and families. General updates PNM has partnered with the New Mexico Small Business Development Center and has activated its call center to assist small businesses to sift through information and help them access funds. Lovelace Medical Center has opened a pop-up shop next to the cafeteria that allows healthcare workers shop for food. Presbyterian Hospital is offering food donation guidance. Items provided to healthcare workers are greatly appreciated and must be prepackaged and nonperishable. Those with questions can refer to 311 or Presbyterian for additional information. The Department of Workforce Solutions will now offer one-time grants in the amount of $750 each to self-employed individuals affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. The Self-Employed Stimulus Payment will be available for the first 2,000 applicants that qualify. WiFi on Wheels The Keller administration announced phase one of their new drive-up WiFi site program also known as WiFi on Wheels. The program aims to close the gap for high speed internet and makes internet access available to vulnerable populations. Census data reports that 73% of New Mexico has a broadband connection below the 81% national average. This makes New Mexico second to last in the country in respect to broadband access. This drive-up WiFi program will provide free internet access at 80 new hotspots around Albuquerque including sites at meal distribution locations and at APS schools. The City of Albuquerque has created a map of outdoor free WiFi sites that is available online and will be distributed at meal sites. https://www.cabq.gov/coronavirus-information/wifi This map will be available in several languages and will be updated daily with additional sites as they are added. Currently, in the initial phase of the program the city is providing free WiFi at: Eight of the most frequented APS grab and go meal sites: Chaparral Elementary School, Dennis Chavez Elementary School, Helen Cordero Elementary School, James Monroe Middle School, Rudolfo Anaya Elementary School, Sierra Vista Elementary School, Truman Middle School Six high schools during Chromebook distribution: Albuquerque High School, Atrisco Heritage Academy, Highland High School, Manzano High School, Rio Grande High School, and West Mesa High School, Erna Fergusson Public Library, Juan Tabo Public Library, Lomas Tramway Public Library, Manzano Mesa Multi-Gen Center, San Pedro Public Library, Taylor Ranch Public Library, Westgate Heights Public Library Additional cites will be announced as soon as they are available. Sun Vans and city vehicles at the locations will display signs identifying them as a WiFi site. The vans will allow anyone who parks in a 100-foot radius to access the internet through a hotspot. The public is asked to remain in their cars to promote social distancing. The mobile hotspots at APS meal sites will operate during meal site hours Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. WiFi at city facilities will take place everyday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Hotspots can support up to 10 devices and city officials hope to increase this number to 15 in the near future.
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Watch and ask questions now at: https://itif.org/online-education The COVID-19 pandemic has brought into sharp focus the digital divide affecting millions of American families, especially those in low-income households and rural areas. One of the most pernicious challenges is the “homework gap”—the divide between those students who have reliable access to computers and high-speed Internet access in their homes and those who do not. This divide makes it difficult for many children to complete their schoolwork and connect with their teachers and classmates during a typical school year, and the pandemic has amplified these problems putting them at risk of falling even further behind. What can policymakers do to close the homework gap and provide K-12 students the connectivity and access to computing they need to succeed? And looking beyond the pandemic, what needs to change so that personalized, online learning is a core component of public education? Please join ITIF for a video webinar featuring remarks by FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, followed by a panel discussion about what policymakers should do to provide more technological innovation in the classroom. Speakers:
Where: https://itif.org/online-education Contact: Rachel Trello at rtrello@itif.orgtch N Information Technology and Innovation Foundation CLICK HERE t Watch Join us for a quick, online workshop via Zoom in which you can learn to build, launch and manage your own website...no coding required! The Workshop is FREE and open to all ages, but pre-registration is required, so register online now HERE.
FREE Workshops are currently scheduled as part of the "1,000 Websites in 1,000 Days" campaign for: Thursday, April 23, 2020 | Online 2:30 p.m. MT / 4:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. CT / 1:30 p.m. PT Thursday, April 30, 2020 | Online 2:30 p.m. MT / 4:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. CT / 1:30 p.m. PT Comcast Increases Access to and Speeds of Internet Essentials’ Low-Income Internet Service4/16/2020 From: Dana Strong, President, Consumer Services, Comcast Cable
As our country continues to manage the COVID-19 emergency, we recognize that our company plays an important role in helping our customers stay connected – to their families, their workplaces, their schools, and the latest information about the virus – through the Internet. We also know that for millions of low-income Americans who don’t have Internet service at home, this uncertain time is going to be even more difficult to manage. As schools and businesses close and families are encouraged, or even mandated, to stay home, Internet connectivity becomes even more important. At Comcast, we’ve been looking for ways to help through our Internet Essentials program, which is the nation’s largest and most comprehensive broadband adoption program for low-income Americans. Since 2011, it has connected millions of individuals to the Internet. A hallmark of this program has been our flexibility in adjusting Internet Essentials to meet the needs of low-income residents in our footprint. So, effective Monday, we are putting in place two substantial program enhancements to help these families deal with this crisis. 1. We will make it even easier for low-income families who live in a Comcast service area to sign up by offering new customers 60 days of complimentary Internet Essentials service, which is normally available to all qualified low-income households for $9.95/month. 2. Also, we are increasing Internet speeds for the Internet Essentials service from 15/2 Mbps to 25/3 Mbps for all new and existing customers, which will be the speed of the service going forward. In this way, we will ensure that Internet Essentials customers will be able to use their Internet service for all their increased needs as a result of this health crisis. We want to make it as fast and simple as possible to access this service: * To receive the increased Internet speeds, existing customers will not need to do anything. The new speeds will be rolled out nationally over the next few days. * We’ll send all new customers a free self-install kit that includes a cable modem with a Wi-Fi router. There will be no term contract or credit check and no shipping fee. * To sign up, applicants can simply visit www.internetessentials.com<http://www.internetessentials.com>. The accessible website also includes the option to video chat with customer service agents in American Sign Language. There are also two dedicated phone numbers 1-855-846-8376 for English and 1-855-765-6995 for Spanish. We’re also reaching out to our thousands of governmental and nonprofit partners to help us spread the word. Our hope is that broader access and faster speeds will help all of our Internet Essentials customers more easily work from home, access educational resources, obtain important government health care alerts, and stay in contact with their families during this difficult time. From: Pueblo of Sandia
Check out the ArcGIS mapping resource created by the Pueblo of Sandia to map COVID-19 locally! https://disasterresponse.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/f8b63af0708a47f99ea0b6c470aee706 Pueblo of Sandia GIS Program https://sandiapueblo.nsn.us/lands/gis-program/"In 1996, the Pueblo of Sandia recognized that Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology was a powerful tool to effectively support infrastructure management activities. GIS has the ability to support tribal decision-making by analyzing geographic or spatial information and then developing associated GIS data along with the development of relevant maps and reports. Over the years, the Pueblo of Sandia GIS program has grown into a robust technical services program that provides GIS technology and products related to Enterprise Geodatabase management, asset and infrastructure management, mapping, GIS and Global Positioning Systems (GPS) data collection, GIS Map Books, Portal for ArcGIS and online web mapping applications to the Pueblo of Sandia. The GIS program securely manages and maintains all of the valued cultural, natural, political and infrastructure asset data for the Pueblo of Sandia. The goal of the Pueblo of Sandia’s GIS Program is to securely manage, maintain and update the Pueblo’s geospatial data efficiently and enforce data integrity. The primary objective was to adopt cutting edge geospatial technology toolsets and modernize the GIS infrastructure to organize and manage all geospatial data with a logical system to move towards building a comprehensive geospatial asset management system. These goals allowed the GIS team to track our spatial assets, maintain records and manage an accurate geospatial data inventory. It also facilitated access and data delivery to all authorized users including our non-GIS audience to data that is centralized and secure that they can adopt and use as a Pueblo-wide decision making tool for planning processes." How covid-19 will change the nations long-term economic trends from the Brookings Institute4/14/2020 "Will the coronavirus change everything? While that sentiment feels true to the enormity of the crisis, it likely isn’t quite right, as scholars from the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program have been exploring since the pandemic began. Instead, the COVID-19 crisis seems poised to accelerate or intensify many economic and metropolitan trends that were already underway, with huge implications of their own. Below, scholars weigh in on COVID-19’s long-term impact on businesses, workers, and the nation as a whole."
Check out the Report. By Marjorie Childress, New Mexico In Depth | Apr 14, 2020 11:56 am
The post COVID-19 strikes Native Americans at high rates in New Mexico appeared first on New Mexico In Depth. " Native Americans make up almost 37% of the positive COVID-19 cases in New Mexico, more than three times their representation in the state’s population. That’s according to a new data dashboard the state Department of Health unveiled today. Native Americans represent around 11% of the state’s 2 million residents. In comparison, Anglos, who make up 37 percent of New Mexico’s population, represent just under 24% of the state’s positive cases. And Hispanics, 49% of the population, represent just 27% of the positive cases. " Read the full article » Interactive New Mexico COVID-19 Map by County THE BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS offers grant for tribes to support consultants to perform feasibility studies for deployment or expansion of high-speed internet transmitted, variously, through digital subscriber line, cable modem, fiber, wireless, satellite and broadband over power lines.
Deadline: 5/8/2020. Click here to review application guidelines. USDA’s COVID-19 Federal Rural Resource Guide Lists Federal Programs That Can Help Rural Communities, Organizations and Residents Impacted by COVID-19
WASHINGTON, April 13, 2020 U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today unveiled a one-stop-shop of federal programs that can be used by rural communities, organizations and individuals impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 Federal Rural Resource Guide (PDF, 349 KB) is a first-of-its-kind resource for rural leaders looking for federal funding and partnership opportunities to help address this pandemic. USDA has taken many immediate actions to assist farmers, ranchers, producers, rural communities, and rural-based businesses and organizations impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. For more information on these actions, visit www.usda.gov/coronavirus. Contact: USDA Press Email: press@oc.usda.gov https://www.santafenewmexican.com/content/tncms/live/
As printed in The New Mexican: "Free Wi-Fi will soon be available at several locations across Santa Fe despite reservations about the project from some city councilors who ended up voting for it anyway. After a nearly 11/2 hour discussion Wednesday, Mayor Alan Webber and the City Council unanimously approved a memorandum of understanding with Santa Fe Public Schools for the city to install Wi-Fi hot spots at several school campuses. The free Wi-Fi on school grounds is primarily intended for students who have switched to online learning in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic but who have limited or no internet access. Though not part of the agreement with the school district, the city also plans to install Wi-Fi hot spots at several city-owned buildings that will be available for the public to log into, too. “In combination with city-owned sites, the selected school locations will allow for more areas of the city to have hotspots near at hand,” Sean Moody, the city’s telecommunications architect, wrote in a memo to the council. Some city councilors, including Michael Garcia, JoAnne Vigil Coppler and Renee Villarreal, pushed for a “timeline” to remove the infrastructure, which is only intended to be temporary. Despite their jockeying, the full council ultimately approved the agreement as originally presented. “The pandemic is our timeline,” Rich Brown, the city’s economic development director, told the governing body. “We don’t know when that’s going to end.” The project, which will cost an estimated $90,000, has raised suspicions that it will lead to the installation of 5G cellphone technology, which still doesn’t exist in Santa Fe. But city and school officials emphasized that the hot spots are unrelated to 5G. “That’s still aspirational for Santa Fe,” Moody said in a telephone interview before Wednesday’s virtual council meeting. “None of the providers have it here. Certainly, it’s not part of our project whatsoever. Our project doesn’t use it, and it doesn’t make it.” Councilor Signe Lindell said the council received numerous emails about the project from concerned residents, some of which left her “dumbfounded.” “There was one thing that stood out in those emails that I’m compelled to say out loud, and that’s the number of people that said in emails that they didn’t believe there were people in this town that don’t have internet access,” she said. “I was shocked by that. It tells me that there’s some folks who have no idea how much some of our fellow citizens are struggling.” Tom Ryan, the school district’s chief information and strategy officer, said the free Wi-Fi on school campuses is designed to help students “get to their educational resources” as well as access general information about what’s happening in the world. “We have about 550 kids that said that they need internet access,” Ryan said. “We also have teachers, some of which their spouse has lost their job due to the closing of businesses, etcetera, that can’t afford or can no longer afford internet.”" |
AuthorsMembers of the ISOC New Mexico Chapter and community advocates and allies Archives
April 2021
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