LOCAL COLUMN
OPINION: New Mexico closes the digital divide one broadband connection at a time
Broadband has become the infrastructure that determines opportunity in New Mexico. Access to it shapes whether a student in Quay County can submit a college application, whether an older adult in Gallup can see a doctor at home, or whether a business in Espa帽ola can compete in a national market. This Infrastructure Week (May 18-22), the state is taking stock of how far we鈥檝e come.
When the Office of Broadband Access and Expansion launched in 2022, just 72% of New Mexicans had high-speed internet. That meant thousands of families, students and businesses were left behind.
Today, thanks to a nearly $900 million investment through state and federal funding under Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham鈥檚 leadership, New Mexico has fully funded project commitments in place to reach every one of the state鈥檚 850,000 homes, businesses and other serviceable locations 鈥� a path to 100% connectivity.
As we close Infrastructure Week with a nationwide focus on the critical importance of sustained federal funding for community infrastructure, we look to our track record of utilizing federal funds to transform the lives of New Mexicans.
The state has secured $675 million through the federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program 鈥� the state鈥檚 largest single broadband funding source. That funding is closing New Mexico鈥檚 digital divide by connecting the remaining 42,500 unserved or underserved locations in 32 of our 33 counties, through 31 infrastructure projects using a mix of fiber, fixed wireless, low-Earth orbit satellite and other technologies tailored to New Mexico鈥檚 geography.
The Navajo Nation is receiving $111 million of those BEAD funds 鈥� the largest single grant awarded by OBAE 鈥� to connect more than 11,000 Navajo tribal members.
Broadband expansion and connectivity are moving as fast as fiber here in New Mexico.
Students are another priority. Through OBAE鈥檚 Student Connect program, more than 4,500 rural students who have never had reliable home internet are now getting online. This means they can complete assignments, access educational resources and apply for colleges or scholarships right from their kitchen tables.
Morgan Daniel, a mother from Truth or Consequences, had slow internet and didn鈥檛 have access to online learning tools to homeschool her 13-year-old son. This left them disappointed and frustrated, but once Daniel was connected to high-speed internet through a Student Connect project, their lives 鈥渃hanged dramatically.鈥� High-speed internet enabled Daniel鈥檚 son to access classes online and begin building skills for a career in technology. He can watch movies and play games, and Daniel says her son has better socialization because he is able to connect online with his friends.
But connectivity means nothing if it鈥檚 unaffordable. When the federal government scrapped its Affordable Connectivity Program in 2025, more than 180,000 New Mexico families lost the monthly $30 discounts 鈥� $75 for tribal families 鈥� on their broadband bill. This past legislative session, the governor signed a historic broadband affordability bill, authorizing $10 million in broadband funding in the first year to help low-income families afford broadband service. The measure is expected to help more than 100,000 New Mexicans stay online as families grapple with rising costs. New Mexico is the first state to backfill the defunct federal program.
We have gone further than home connections: OBAE鈥檚 Community Connect program is bringing public Wi-Fi to parks, plazas, and open spaces in rural regions, including one grant that will provide Wi-Fi access at 12 historic sites and museums.
Promising and planning are one thing, but when it comes to broadband, New Mexico is delivering.
Jeff Lopez is the director of the New Mexico Office of Broadband Access and Expansion.
