ALAMOSA – Efforts are underway to expand broadband coverage to the most isolated and underserved areas of the San Luis Valley and it began this month with the hiring of a local firm to oversee the enhancement of broadband services.

Paradigm Connectivity, from Monte Vista, was selected by San Luis Valley Regional Broadband Collaborative and the San Luis Valley Resources Development Group to undertake the primary task of identifying potential short- and long-term projects that will increase broadband access in isolated and underserved communities. The firm is owned by Angie and Russ Nixon and began work the first of August.

“Paradigm Connectivity is passionate about improving lives and productivity through connecting people,” Angie Nixon from Paradigm. “Our family lives in the San Luis Valley, and we have firsthand experience contributing to projects that reach people where they are. We have seen the ways broadband connectivity changes lives and workflows for families, businesses, and students – and entire communities.”

As the San Luis Valley Broadband Community Relations Manager, Paradigm Connectivity will also have responsibility for finding funding sources for broadband projects; working with communities, non-profit organizations, and local governments to develop projects; and to conduct public outreach and education.

“Partnerships with existing local service provider, regional municipalities and joint resources, federal grant and philanthropic support, our technical expertise and established relationships within the industry, along with the voices within our communities, are the components necessary to enable the development of equitable and sustainable solutions, said Nixon. “The success of this initiative will come from the collaborative involvement of our entire San Luis Valley community.”

“The San Luis Valley Development Resources Group (SLVDRG) is excited to have a local firm as part of what is being heralded as an innovative model for the San Luis Valley to fully maximize multiple broadband resources by engaging technical leadership with both our local providers and consumers of broadband,” said SLVDRG Executive Director Kevin Wilkins. “The Nixons are tasked with utilizing both their technical expertise and familiarity with the San Luis Valley to accomplish an expansive range of problem solving from the household router to maximizing redundancy middle mile pathways.”

The San Luis Valley Regional Broadband Collaborative is partnership of non-profit leaders from the San Luis Valley, local government representatives, and those familiar with technical aspects of broadband service and buildout. The San Luis Valley Development Resources Group serves as the fiscal agent for the collaborative.

The broadband project is a two-year effort funded through a grant from the Colorado Trust, a private foundation.