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Hello Friends and Neighbors,
I wanted to be one of the first to share some exciting news for our community. Last week our team at Bernalillo County learned that Clovis, NM based, Plateau Telecommunications, was awarded a $49.8 million NTIA grant to buildout a middle mile broadband network along NM14/NM 337 from Mountainair to Santa Fe. Funding for this project was made available through President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This will be an underground fiber optic network that will eventually serve areas from Chilili to Cedar Crest with affordable high-speed internet! Much more work remains to be done to ensure that our rural and exurban communities have access to this basic utility, broadband internet. This funding and forward movement toward broadband internet accessibility and connectivity is a huge moment for our East Mountains communities.
In addition to this milestone we just learned today that New Mexico will receive nearly $675 million for broadband efforts through President Biden’s bipartisan infrastructure law. New Mexico was originally projected to receive just $150 million. Coupled with the NTIA grant already awarded, this is truly a game changer for our communities to compete on equal terrain with adequate digital infrastructure. My office and Bernalillo County will work with our neighboring communities, our federal and state delegation, and our partners in the private sector to finish the job with final mile connections to households and businesses across the East Mountains.
Even if you don’t live in the East Mountains, this is important for our entire region. The digital divide we see in our community is striking and real. The lack of access to affordable high-speed internet stalls the learning of young students, impedes video visits and telemedicine for the sick and infirmed, and stifles the economic potential of some of our most innovative entrepreneurs.
I hope you will join me in congratulating Plateau Telecommunications on this huge accomplishment. Additionally, let's show our gratitude to our U.S. Senators Heinrich and Lujan, U.S. Representatives Stansbury, Vasquez, Ledger-Fernandez, the State Office of Broadband Access and Expansion (OBAE), and our broadband team at Bernalillo County for their work to elevate the importance of this key utility and raise funding for this infrastructure.
Sincerely,
Commissioner Eric Olivas - District 5
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