New Mexico Completes First ConnectNM Pilot Project

Jan. 13, 2026 – New Mexico's Office of Broadband Access and Expansion announced Friday that 52 rural homes in Chaves County will gain access to high-speed internet service.

The Chaves County project is the first to reach total completion under the Connect New Mexico Pilot Program funded by the American Rescue Plan Act's Capital Projects Fund, bringing OBAE closer to its goal of universal connectivity.

“This project’s completion delivers on the state’s promise to connect New Mexico families in the most remote areas of the state,” Andy Exell, OBAE’s ARPA program coordinator, said in a  release. “For these dozens of homeowners to finally get high-speed internet is a life changer.”

The ConnectNM Pilot Program is a statewide initiative that supports broadband expansion in underserved communities. OBAE awarded an ARPA grant of $487,000 to the Penasco Valley Telephone Cooperative to construct nearly 11 miles of aerial fiber to the rural residences. With matching funds from the cooperative, the broadband project’s total budget was $649,000.

“As PVT completes the project in rural Chaves County, we are excited to see residents gaining access to reliable fiber connectivity,” said Penasco Valley Telephone CEO Jim Meyers. “This milestone represents more than infrastructure; it’s about opportunity.”

The project aligns with New Mexico’s broader three-year broadband plan; its key objective being to achieve total statewide broadband access by 2029, with a focus on the needs of rural and tribal populations. As part of the plan, OBAE has proposed launching a statewide broadband subsidy by 2027.

OBAE has currently awarded 21 grants to internet service providers and tribal communities. The office's director Jeffrey Lopez aims to continue the Pilot Program into 2026 via delegating it as a key performance target of the statewide broadband plan.

The plan notes several other broadband projects funded by ARPA in the state were near completion.