Trump and Musk

With Donald Trump and Elon Musk breathing down their necks, state officials announced a seemingly abrupt change in policy and finally agreed to jump start high speed satellite delivery for tens of thousands of internet-deprived New Mexicans.

We and a number of our readers have been pounding the table for such a pivot because of the agonizingly slow ramp up of service to so many rural areas.

It apparently took Trump and his alliance with Musk, owner of Starlink, the company driving satellite internet ,and new FCC Chairman Brendan Carr. Carr is determined to approve roadblocked federal funding including $886 million for Starlink.

The state has now moved off the dime:

Whatever it took, New Mexico is about to take a major step forward. Years of waiting for expensive fiber to be buried in the ground to serve remote locations could be history:

The Office of Broadband Expansion and Access announced:

(OBAE) will call on the Legislative Finance Committee to provide $70 million in nonrecurring funds to expand high-speed internet. . . The request will create a near-term affordable pathway for many New Mexicans to access high-speed internet, particularly in rural and hard-to-reach parts of the state. . . There are approximately 95,000 locations in New Mexico that are in areas eligible for satellite service. . .The $70 million. . .would go toward a proposed initiative called Accelerate Connect NM, which would subsidize the cost of connecting to satellite high-speed internet service for qualifying unserved or underserved households. 

Accelerate Connect NM will bridge the accessibility gap for tens of thousands of New Mexicans while multi-year broadband infrastructure, such as fiber, is being built out across the state. “Our funding request reflects the short-term needs for connectivity and affordability, while advancing dozens of projects that will deliver on the long-term needs of the State,” said Drew Lovelace, Acting Director of OBAE. “Nobody in New Mexico should lack high-speed internet. Accelerate Connect NM will be vital to achieving inclusivity for rural homes and businesses.” 

We couldn't have said it better ourselves and legislators, we believe, will be happy to agree. We can only urge Sen. Munoz and others not to reduce the ask for this most necessary program.

We rejoice in the decision because it will be life-changing for thousands of young New Mexicans struggling to keep pace with educational opportunities, improve social relationships and give a boost to businesses that have been unable to connect. 

The choice of Starlink as the vendor would have to be approved by the state but they are the main provider and leader. There is also Jeff Bezos' Project Kuiper offering the satellite connections. 

Starlink is promoting satellite service for $120 per month with hardware to set it up going for $349.00.

$70 million in state funding would be more than a drop in the bucket. It is a substantial investment in satellite technology whose speeds are predicted to only get faster in the years ahead. 

NO EXCUSES

FCC Chair Brendan Carr

If the FCC frees up roadblocked federal funding, as now expected, more funds could be rolled out. 

The state "has been working on the grant program to award $675 million in state awards through the federal Broadband Equity Access and deployment (BEAD) program." 

There are simply no excuses left to bring our internet technology fully into the 21st century with satellite a cornerstone of that effort rather than an afterthought.

The state's decision to front-run the Trump administration will preempt an all-out attack on the foot-dragging pace of delivering broadband. The very areas where Trump outperformed in the presidential election--Hispanic and Native American dominated rural counties---will benefit greatly from the decision.

If Trump wants to take credit, that's fine. In fact, he and Musk deserve some love for the breakthrough even from the Democrats--who finally saw the satellite lights way up in the beautiful New Mexico sky.

This is the Home of New Mexico Politics.