In the words of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, New Mexico is going from the “Land of Enchantment” to the “Land of Enhancement”, thanks to $40 million worth of investments that will bring high-speed internet to the people of rural New Mexico.
The Secretary and all of New Mexico’s Congressional Delegation were on hand in Albuquerque on Monday to announce these investments, which come as a result of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
But the expansion into New Mexico, according to Vilsack, was due mostly to the persistent work of New Mexico’s Congressional members.
“I don’t know of a delegation that is more committed as individuals and collectively to rural places, rural people and rural opportunity than the delegation from New Mexico. You are very, very fortunate. I wish I had Congressional delegations like this in every state, because it would make my job a lot easier because these people care, they go out and listen and they know how to get a hold of me.”
In total, three projects were announced on Monday, each with the goal of deploying fiber-to-the-premises networks.
The Western New Mexico Telephone Company is receiving $23.8 million in a grant to provide high-speed internet access to people in Catron County.
The company will have the ability to make high-speed internet affordable by participating in the Federal Communications Commission's Lifeline and Affordable Connectivity program.
It will also provide a $34.99 monthly plan with 75 megabit per second upload and download speeds for subscribers within the project area.
E.N.M.R Telephone Cooperative is receiving $2.6 million to provide high-speed internet access to the people in De Baca, Guadalupe, Harding, Quay, San Miguel, Socorro and Union counties.
Lasty, the Peñaco Valley Telephone Company will receive $13.9 million to give high-speed internet access to 550 people, 48 farms and 11 businesses in Chavez, Eddy, Otero and Lincoln counties.
The senior member of the delegation, Senator Martin Heinrich called this a generational investment in New Mexico’s future.
“Equality of opportunity. That’s what too many New Mexicans have not had historically. So rather that opportunity is your education, rather that opportunity is your a retired veteran and you’re connecting to your health care through the VA or telehealth. Rather you’re growing your business, all of those things we do not have the same level of connectivity of many of the other urbanized areas of this county. And as we level that up, we can’t even begin to predict what that’s going to mean for so many businesses and young people and just New Mexicans who are going to be able to reach their full opportunity.”