Serving the High Plains

Companies win broadband funds

New Mexico lawmakers in Congress announced last week 18 companies in New Mexico, including several in the eastern part of the state, won nearly $165 million from the Federal Communications Commission’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Phase I auction to improve internet broadband access.

The utilities received the funding for a 10-year period to provide broadband access in 64,170 locations in New Mexico.

A breakdown of the funding:

• 4-Corners Consortium New Mexico: $2,598,030

• AMG Technology Investment Group New Mexico LLC: $75,554

• CCO Holdings LLC: $11,217

• CenturyLink Inc.: $2,038,002

• City of Farmington: $3,179,884

• Commnet Wireless LLC: $424,184

• Continental Divide Electric Cooperative: $38,004,786

• Enduring Internet: $11,880

• FiberLight LLC: $246,737

• NMSURF, Inc.: $26,964.00

• Plateau Telecommunications: $3,150

• PVT NetWorks Inc.: $12,039

• Resound Networks, LLC -$59,171,497

• Rural Electric Cooperative Consortium: $18,102,076

• Space Exploration Technologies Corp.: $25,635,954

• Windstream Services LLC: $15,516,006

• Wisper-CABO 904 Consortium: $125,532

• Yucca Telecommunications Systems Inc.: $26,221

Plateau, CenturyLink and Yucca serve Quay County or adjoining regions.

The FCC’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Phase I auction aims to close the digital divide in unserved areas and ensure high-quality broadband connectivity in rural communities.

The program requires providers to meet periodic buildout requirements that will require them to reach all assigned locations by the end of the sixth year of funding while incentivizing them to build out to all locations as fast as possible.

U.S. Sens. Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich and U.S. Reps. Ben Ray Luján, Deb Haaland and Xochitl Torres Small, all Democrats from New Mexico, made a joint announcement about the funding.