Rural Utility Cooperative Awarded Grant to Study Broadband Needs in Northern New Mexico
Kit Carson Electric Cooperative will identify broadband gaps in three rural New Mexico communities
WASHINGTON, July 8, 2026 – The New Mexico Office of Broadband Access and Expansion is providing a $100,000 broadband planning grant to Kit Carson Electric Cooperative Inc. to evaluate broadband needs in rural New Mexico communities.
New Mexico-based rural utility cooperative Kit Carson received the funds through the OBAE’s Grant, Writing, Engineering and Planning Program. The cooperative will use the grant to conduct engineering and feasibility work to determine service gaps and needs in three rural communities just north of Española.
New Mexico OBAE director Jeff Lopez said, “This planning grant will play a critical role in ensuring broadband infrastructure is reliable and sustainable in these rural, unincorporated areas.” The funds will be used to conduct a broadband analysis of the areas and identify broadband service gaps in the Hernandez, Chamita and Alcalde communities, helping the cooperative establish a foundation for future deployment.
Lopez explained that the OBAE is working to connect all parts of the state. In a July 6 release, he said, “We want to do everything possible to see that all hard-to-reach parts of the state are connected, and this grant will assist Kit Carson in getting vital information needed for future connectivity.”
To date, the New Mexico OBAE has awarded 40 GWEP grants. GWEP grants are specifically used for broadband deployment planning. The funding is used to help cooperatives, tribal communities and local governments provide broadband to unserved locations.
Kit Carson also received a $10,000 GWEP grant in the fall of 2025.
