Communities Collaborating to Bridge the Digital Divide: The Tribal Virtual Network

The Digital Divide has become a catch phrase and political banner that defines the divide between the "have and have-nots" of internet-based technologies. Many rural and Native American communities often have little or no access to basic Internet service, let alone high or even low bandwidth connectivity. A consortium of five tribal museums, culture centers and education programs in New Mexico have entered into a partnership to develop and implement a project that provides a solution to rural communities that lack infrastructure and connectivity. The five sites (the Pueblos of Jemez, Pojoaque, Zuni, the Indian Pueblo Culture Center, and the Jicarilla Apache Nation), located throughout northern and north central New Mexico, are using Access Grid technology that uses a low bandwidth solution (less than 1.5 megabits). The Tribal Virtual Network or TVN has been funded by a grant from the Department of Commerce. With their support and the support of the University of New Mexico's Arts of the Americas Institute the Tribal Virtual Network is exploring different ways to use AG technology to benefit their communities. Some of the initiatives include accessing long distance education and training, facilitating communication and virtual meetings, developing innovative exchange programs, and participating with other AG-enabled platforms.