Dr. Kristen Rebmann, Associate Professor, School of Information, has been awarded an IMLS National Leadership Grant of $249,882 to improve internet equity and access to Native American communities through TV Whitespace (TVWS) networks. The award period begins October 1, 2018, and ends September 30, 2020.

Dr. Rebmann is working in collaboration with Alana McGrattan of the Tribal Libraries Program of the New Mexico State Library, Gar Clarke (Tribal Liaison) of the New Mexico State Department of Information Technology Office of Broadband & Geospatial Initiatives, Donald Means of Gigabit Libraries Network, and Dr. Elizabeth Belding of University of California, Santa Barbara’s Department of Computer Science. They will collaborate with Tribal Libraries across New Mexico to explore dramatically improving Tribal internet connectivity, equity, and inclusion through the design and implementation of several TVWS networks statewide.

Each of the four phases associated with this project address IMLS’ National Leadership Grants for Libraries Community Anchors and National Digital Platform project categories by positioning TVWS technology as a communications technology that is supportive of Tribal Libraries’ role as community anchor institutions striving for information equity, access, and inclusion. This project will transform national efforts to improve access to digital content and services through the adoption of new networking technologies and infrastructure (TVWS frequencies) recently released by the Federal Communications Commission. The project will make national impact through grant-developed models for collaborative Tribal-State initiatives that bring digital access to underserved community members in areas of critical need.