Several telecommunications companies have tapped into state money available to build out broadband internet infrastructure in unserved and underserved parts of New Mexico. But a lot more money could be required to meet the state's high-speed internet needs.
So far, the state has dished out $38.6 million — out of an available $120 million — to four companies in the form of grants. Non-state funding added an additional $28.3 million to the four companies: Comcast Corp., Central New Mexico Electric Cooperative, Ethos Broadband and Socorro Electric Cooperative.
But demand for the millions of dollars that remain for broadband expansion through a pilot program called Connect New Mexico is high. The state's Office of Broadband Access and Expansion received 16 applications from 11 applicants for the first wave of grants, Sandeep Taxali said during a Nov. 16 Connect New Mexico Council meeting.
Taxali, a program advisor for the state's Office of Broadband Access and Expansion, said that the office is currently performing a "detailed analysis to determine the exact percentage of New Mexican premises that are not served" using federal and state-collected data.
"The analysis will likely confirm prior estimates that New Mexico requires billions of dollars to provide high-speed fiber networks or next-generation fixed wireless that can reliably offer 100/20 megabits-per-second and be scalable to much higher speeds to meet the growing demands for bandwidth-consuming applications," he said in a statement shared via email.
More money could be coming in early 2023. That's when the state's broadband office plans to roll out the full Connect New Mexico Broadband Grant Program in collaboration with the Connect New Mexico Council. The council is a group of 14 members and appointees from different state departments and organizations around New Mexico.
Money for the program comes from the Connect New Mexico Fund, which has received $100 million in total state appropriations.
Comcast, Central New Mexico Electric Cooperative, Ethos Broadband and Socorro Electric Cooperative are all working to build out broadband in rural parts of New Mexico, like in the Village of Magdalena, Sierra County and the Zuni Pueblo. Expansion is happening in urban areas, too.
Communications provider Sparklight is on track to complete a $10 million upgrade to fiber internet in Rio Rancho by the spring of 2023, according to a release from the company last month. Vexus Fiber, which currently operates networks in the Texas cities of Lubbock, Amarillo, Wichita Falls and Abilene, plans to begin building a 100% fiber network in areas north of Downtown Albuquerque. It also has aspirations to build similar infrastructure in Santa Fe and Las Cruces.
All of these recent broadband expansion efforts point to the need for high-speed internet across the state. New Mexico ranks above only Mississippi in terms of households that have a broadband internet subscription — 84.3% according to 2021 U.S. Census survey data.
And those in areas of New Mexico that have little-to-no reliable high-speed internet — shown on this Federal Communications Commission map — can often benefit more from internet-based services like telemedicine or video that require higher speed connections, Taxali said.
More grant money is coming for broadband expansion projects in waves two and three of the Connect New Mexico pilot program. Applications for wave two of funding closed on Dec. 9. Applications for wave three will close on Feb. 27, 2023.
Providers can apply on the Department of Information Technology's website to receive grant money that would cover up to 75% of infrastructure and other costs for broadband buildout.
To ensure this money is being put where people need it the most, the City of Albuquerque and community advocacy organization Next Century Cities held a presentation called Build Broadband Together on Dec. 7.
"I wanted to have a broadband forum where we could talk about the importance of taking that funding and putting it where it needs to be," said Catherine Nicolaou, broadband program manager for the City of Albuquerque.
For Nicolaou, broadband buildout is about making sure New Mexicans can access a higher quality of life.
"If this is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to listen to voices that haven't been heard before and to think about our neighbors, whether they're in rural New Mexico, tribal New Mexico or urban New Mexico, then we have a responsibility to do that right now and to collaborate so that people can live with dignity."
