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New Mexico’s Office of Broadband Access and Expansion announced Monday that prequalification applications are open to local and tribal governments, nonprofit organizations, internet service providers and other entities to seek grants to fund broadband infrastructure.
The state has over $675 million to disburse through the federal Broadband Equity Access and Deployment program, known as BEAD.
The $42.45 billion program, part of a 2021 federal infrastructure law, supports expansion of broadband internet access to underserved communities by helping to fund planning, infrastructure and adoption programs nationwide. A sizable portion of New Mexico – 16 percent of 873,797 serviceable locations, the broadband office says – is either unserved or underserved.
For the program’s purposes, “underserved” refers to locations lacking minimum broadband speeds of 100 Mbps for downloads and 20 Mbps for uploads.
The prequalification process allows the state to assess whether applicants have “the technical capability and financial stability to deploy broadband and meet federal and state requirements,” the office stated in a news release.
“We want to evaluate all applicants carefully to ensure the funding is used responsibly and distributed fairly. New Mexicans deserve nothing less,” New Mexico BEAD coordinator Andrew Wilder stated in the news release.
The state’s broadband office will assess applicants based on their financial, managerial and technical capabilities; legal and regulatory compliance; ownership; stewardship of other public funding; and operational capacity, the news release stated.
The application and online portal for submissions is available at the OBAE website, connect.nm.gov.
The release stated that the prequalification process ends Nov. 1, by which time dozens of applications are anticipated.
Following that process, entities will apply for funds for their proposed infrastructure projects for approval by the state and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.
Meanwhile, state-funded grants totaling over $5.6 million are on their way to developers planning to bring high-speed internet to Hidalgo and Grant counties.
The Connect New Mexico Fund, created by lawmakers in 2021, awarded the money to Valley Telephone Cooperative to install fiber broadband connections, burying nearly 135 miles of fiber cable, to the remote towns of Animas, Cotton City and Hachita, serving 324 homes and 101 businesses, the broadband office stated.
The project could begin as soon as next spring, once permitting, rights-of-way and contracts are all in order.
“HIgh-speed internet is not just a convenience – it is essential for empowering local businesses, residents, and schools, enabling efficiencies, reducing travel needs, and improving educational opportunities, Valley Telephone Cooperative CEO Troy Judd stated in a news release.
OBAE acting director Drew Lovelace said, “This project will have a generational impact for residents in this rural corner of the state. No one should lack access to broadband, and this important connectivity is a sign of real progress.”
