From the Office of U.S. Sen Ben Ray Luján:
Today, U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) joined the New Mexico Congressional Delegation to welcome U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack to New Mexico to highlight $40 million for high-speed broadband in New Mexico.
“I was honored to join Secretary Vilsack and my New Mexico colleagues to welcome these historic USDA investments to connect more New Mexican families with high-speed broadband,” said Sen. Luján, Chair of the Subcommittee on Communications, Media, and Broadband. “Through this grant funding, more New Mexico families will be given the resources to get connected. I’m proud to partner with the USDA Rural Development to deliver such critical broadband investments to New Mexico, empowering our local businesses, farms, and education facilities.”
Background from USDA:
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that the Department is investing $40 million to provide high-speed internet access for people living and working in rural areas in New Mexico. Today’s investments are made possible because of funding from President Biden’s historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which provides $65 billion to expand reliable, affordable, high-speed internet to all communities across the U.S.
The $40 million in grants comes from the fourth funding round of the ReConnect Program. USDA has invested $1.7 billion since the beginning of the Biden-Harris Administration through the ReConnect Program to bring high-speed internet access to rural Americans.
The three projects being announced today in New Mexico are:
- The Western New Mexico Telephone Company Inc. is receiving a $23.8 million grant to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to provide high-speed internet access to people in Catron County. The company will make high-speed internet affordable by participating in the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Lifeline and Affordable Connectivity Programs (ACP). It also will provide a $34.99 monthly plan with 75 megabits per second upload and download speeds for subscribers within the project area enrolled in the ACP.
- The E.N.M.R. Telephone Cooperative is receiving a $2.6 million grant to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to provide high-speed internet access to people in De Baca, Guadalupe, Harding, Quay, San Miguel, Socorro and Union counties in New Mexico. E.N.M.R. will make high-speed internet affordable by participating in the FCC’ Lifeline and Affordable Connectivity Programs. This project will serve socially vulnerable communities in De Baca, Guadalupe, San Miguel and Socorro counties.
- The Peñasco Valley Telephone (PVT) Cooperative is receiving a $13.9 million grant to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to provide high-speed internet access to 550 people, 48 farms and 11 businesses in Chaves, Eddy, Otero and Lincoln counties in New Mexico. PVT will make high-speed internet affordable by participating in the FCC’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). PVT also offers a program that can provide free internet for households participating in ACP. This project will serve socially vulnerable communities in Chaves, Eddy and Otero counties.
