New Mexico

The Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau (WCB or Bureau) announced that certain Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) census block groups (CBG) are now eligible for other funding programs.

Lumen Technologies—through its affiliates Qwest and CenturyTel of Wyoming—was awarded Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) funding to deploy gigabit speed Internet service in areas of Colorado, New Mexico, South Dakota, and Wyoming. Now Lumen is returning nine census block groups (CBGs) where it was awarded RDOF funding in those states. Lumen has observed deployment costs increase dramatically in many areas since it made its bids. In addition, in some areas, the number of locations to be deployed to is substantially different from the initial published auction numbers.

The New Mexico Office of Broadband Access and Expansion (OBAE) announced that it has awarded more than $40 million in state grants to internet service providers, telephone cooperatives, pueblos and a tribal company to deploy broadband across the state. Grant recipients include seven entities, some of which will handle multiple projects. The grants are being released through the state’s Connect New Mexico Fund. This $70 million state-led broadband grant program is designed to expand high-speed internet access and deploy infrastructure to unserved and underserved communities.

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has approved New Mexico and Virginia’s Initial Proposals for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program. This approval enables New Mexico and Virginia to request access to funding and begin implementation of the BEAD program—a major step towards closing the digital divide and meeting the President’s goal of connecting everyone in America with affordable, reliable, high-speed Internet service.  The action allows states to request:  

They say Rome wasn’t built in a day. Neither is broadband. One in five New Mexicans don’t have reliable high-speed internet at a time when such technology is a necessity, not a luxury. It’s imperative that constituents, households, businesses and other entities have broadband that delivers telehealth, distance learning, government services, job creation, economic growth and other vital services. Throughout New Mexico—particularly in rural areas and the 23 tribal communities—lack of accessible and reliable internet continues to hinder people from getting online.

The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society, in collaboration with the Department of Education’s Office of Educational Technology, recently hosted a webinar series titled the Power of Partnership: State Strategies for Digital and Educational Equity.

The Infrastructure and Investment Jobs Act (IIJA) became law in November 2021, allocating billions of dollars for upgrades and expansion of the nation’s infrastructure. Funding was awarded to various sectors including $65 billion for broadband.

Many state broadband directors are keeping their fingers crossed that all the areas eligible for Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program rural broadband funding receive bids. But it’s a particularly big challenge for New Mexico, as the state’s broadband director Drew Lovelace explained. “New Mexico hits a trifecta of challenges in geography, size, and rurality. A lot of states have one or two of these, we have all three,” said Lovelace. New Mexico is the fifth largest state in land mass, but only 36th in population.

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) is partnering with rural cooperatives, local organizations and Tribes to support high-speed internet deployment in 11 states. USDA is awarding $5.2 million in cooperative agreements through the Broadband Technical Assistance Program, which is funded through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.