Regional News

New Mexico gets OK to seek $675M in federal grant to expand high-speed internet across the state

KRWG | By Associated Press

Published July 30, 2024 at 10:45 AM MDT

A poster advertising satellite-based internet service is seen Dec. 9, 2022 in the farming community of La Mesa, 17 miles south of Las Cruces on N.M. Hwy. 28. New Mexicans face a Jan. 13 deadline to verify their internet speeds on a federal broadband map – a step that will be key to getting funding for faster internet in the future. Residents in several communities across Southern New Mexico say they struggle to access affordable, reliable high-speed internet due to limited options. — A poster advertising satellite-based internet service is seen Dec. 9, 2022 in the farming community of La Mesa, 17 miles south of Las Cruces on N.M. Hwy. 28.

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico has received final federal approval to pursue $675 million in federal grant funding to expand high-speed internet across the state, officials said Monday.

That means the New Mexico Office of Broadband Access and Expansion can now start the grant application process. The state must submit a final proposal within a year.

“This funding empowers New Mexico to bridge the digital divide and create equal opportunities across the state, especially for our rural and tribal communities,” Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said in a statement.

Federal and state data show that 16% of New Mexico’s nearly 874,000 serviceable broadband locations are either unserved or underserved.

Government officials said they hope to connect tens of thousands of New Mexico households to the internet for the first time.