New Mexico’s Proposed Broadband Satellite Program is a Blessing From Above
Becoming part of the online community will mean access to healthcare, educational opportunities and local job growth.
Drew Lovelace
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A world without broadband internet. It’s tough to imagine.
Yet too many New Mexicans experience it.
Whether it’s accessing education, telehealth, government services or economic opportunity, the internet is an integral part of our lives. Today, about 15% of New Mexico’s population does not have broadband internet, creating a serious, and perhaps, dangerous digital divide that prevents far too many from maximizing their success in the modern world.
To make matters worse, constructing and deploying broadband fiber and other reliable and sustainable terrestrial-based technologies can take up to seven years—or more. That’s why the state is proposing an intelligent and timely stop-gap solution for up to 95,000 New Mexican households.
The Office of Broadband Access and Expansion is asking the legislature to appropriate $70 million to expedite satellite connections across New Mexico. This one-time expenditure would pay for a proposed initiative called Accelerate Connect NM, which would finance high-speed satellite internet service to qualifying households.
The program would provide broadband to New Mexicans immediately, while ground-based, long-term projects are being built. This is a sensible, logical and practical way to get families and businesses online quickly and preventing them from being left in the digital dust.
Those targeted by this program live in rural and remote regions. Becoming part of the online community will mean access to healthcare, educational opportunities and local job growth. This, in turn, will help boost local economies, spur opportunity and improve lives.
Accelerate Connect NM would support the following investments for two years: up to 95,000 household vouchers for necessary hardware, and a monthly subsidy for low-income households to make their satellite service bill more affordable.
Bottom line: it will mean affordability and inclusivity for huge sections of our state’s rural population that are unserved or underserved.
And connectivity will come fast.
New Mexicans have made it clear at community events, town hall meetings, tribal workshops, conferences and in face-to-face meetings that they need connectivity now.
They also understand that building infrastructure can take a long time due to such things as permitting issues, legal hurdles, rights of way conundrums, supply chain problems and federal rules and regulations.
With New Mexico coffers flush with record revenues, now is the time to invest in the broadband New Mexicans deserve and desperately need. OBAE’s proposal allows quick connections via satellite to those in need and at a cost that’s certainly within reason.
New Mexicans have been clear: connectivity now--while OBAE pushes the long-term broadband infrastructure builds--is essential.
That’s why a vote from our lawmakers for Accelerate Connect NM is a vote for progress for New Mexico.
It’s really a no-brainer. Connectivity is life-changing, and it will steer New Mexico toward a brighter and more prosperous future.
Drew Lovelace is the Acting Director for Connect New Mexico's Office of Broadband Access and Expansion. His expertise spans industries such as Information Technology and the Outdoor Industry. This piece originally appeared in the Albequerque Journal on Jan. 22, 2025, and is republished with permission.
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