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New Mexico’s $432.9 million BEAD plan is now under review by federal NTIA authorities, according to the state’s broadband office.
Source: Noah Wire Services
Edited by Brad Randall, Broadband Communities
New Mexico’s efforts to bridge the digital divide have taken a significant leap with the release of its final $432.9 million Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) plan, now under review by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).
With the plan, which was announced Tuesday, the state’s Office of Broadband Access and Expansion (OBAE) has committed to projects that aim to deliver high-speed internet to thousands of families, particularly in underserved rural areas.
However, the per-location costs for some of these projects have raised eyebrows.
High-cost figures in New Mexico’s BEAD plan
As reported by Broadband Breakfast, among the high-cost figures is the funding awarded to Valley Telephone Cooperative, which received $12.1 million to service 300 locations, resulting in a per-location cost of over $40,000.
Similarly, Oso Internet Solutions was allocated $28.6 million for 729 locations, amounting to approximately $39,000 per location, while Lyte Fiber garnered $55.8 million to serve 1,983 locations, translating into just above $28,000 per location.
Jeff Lopez, the OBAE’s director, said the state’s BEAD program will close New Mexico’s digital divide.
Additionally, he said it will ensure that thousands of New Mexico families soon receive access to high-speed broadband, according to comments included in a recent OBAE release.
“Broadband is necessary for all families to receive critical services and information to stay connected and to succeed in our ever-changing world,” Lopex said.
The high per-location costs reflect the realities of providing broadband infrastructure in New Mexico’s rural and often remote regions.
According to the OBAE, the office has preliminarily approved over 30 BEAD projects.
Entities with preliminarily approved projects include nine ISPs and low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite providers, three tribal entities, and five cooperatives, the OBAE reported.
The office said 44% of those approved projects involve serving locations with fiber, while 40% include plans to serve locations with fixed-wireless access, and 16% of approved projects include plans to service locations with LEO satellite.
A staff writer used AI tools to help generate this report.