JSI to Advise NM Fiber Network on Middle Mile Grant Application Process

GREENBELT, MD– NM Fiber Network, LLC and broadband telecommunications consulting firm John Staurulakis, LLC (JSI) announced today that their two companies have agreed to partner on NM Fiber Network’s upcoming grant application for the “Enabling Middle Mile Broadband Infrastructure Program” (Middle Mile Grant Program), which will seek federal funding to connect unserved and underserved areas of New Mexico to the internet backbone.

The $1 billion Middle Mile Grant Program was one of several broadband-funding programs created by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) in November 2021 that are now being administered by the US Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA or the Administration).

When NTIA published its official “Notice of Funding Opportunity” (NOFO) for the Middle Mile Grant Program on May 13, 2022, it stated that all interested parties would be given until September 30, 2022, to submit their completed applications to the Administration and that the Administration would likely begin awarding grants on March 1, 2023.

NM Fiber Network and JSI look forward to working together to capitalize on this new grant program, which could provide significant financial support for NM Fiber Network’s intended expansion and extension of New Mexico’s middle-mile infrastructure and further the company’s broader plan to establish a multi-million-dollar network across New Mexico to enhance capacity, improve internet access and dependability, and prepare New Mexicans for the future.

Commenting on this funding opportunity, NM Fiber Network Interim CEO Josh Beug stated, “We are confident that we can present a compelling case for federal funding in our Middle Mile Grant Program application, as NM Fiber Network and its current owner-member fiber systems span thousands of miles across the state, making our company uniquely well-positioned to expand New Mexico’s middle-mile infrastructure and reduce connection costs for unserved and underserved areas.

“JSI is exceptionally grateful for this opportunity to help NM Fiber Network realize its plans to bridge the digital divide in New Mexico, and our veteran team of business advisors – with their decades of experience preparing successful grant applications on behalf of countless clients – is looking forward to supporting NM Fiber Network through every step of this application process,” JSI CEO Tasos Tsolakis added.

NM Fiber Network was formed on April 25, 2022, by 10 New Mexico communications providers for the purpose of levering their collective and complementary resources to establish a state-wide fiber broadband network capable of providing middle-mile and broadband access to all areas of New Mexico.

About NM Fiber Network, LLC

NM Fiber Network, LLC’s founding companies are Baca Valley Telephone Company, Inc., Dell Telephone Cooperative, Inc., La Jicarita Rural Telephone Cooperative, Leaco Rural Telephone Cooperative, Inc., Peñasco Valley Telephone Cooperative, Inc., Roosevelt County Rural Telephone Cooperative, Inc., Sacred Wind Communications, Inc., Tularosa Communications, Inc., Valley Telephone Cooperative, Inc., and Western New Mexico Telephone Company, Inc. NM Fiber Network will concentrate on offering high-speed fiber-optic backbone capabilities to owners and other telecommunications providers and direct business customers such as hospitals, schools, and government agencies.

Visit http://www.nmfibernetwork.com to discover more about NM Fiber Network.

If you are interested in NM Fiber Network services, please contact info@nmfibernetwork.com.