[Lwvcnmtopics] [EXT] Rural Broadband service in New Mexico

[George Richmond]

This is very helpful and I appreciate your taking the time to send this 
to me.

The League of Women Voters Central New Mexico is interested in and 
supportive of education in New Mexico.

Improving broad band service.  Lets hope the NM Department of 
Information Technology can bring needed changes.

George Richmond

On 5/3/2021 8:18 AM, Ripperger, Mike, PRC wrote:
> Hello Mr. Richmond,
>
> Thank you for your inquiry. Yes, I do agree, there is a tremendous 
> push for broadband, and for good reasons.
>
> The NMPRC's primary jurisdiction is over intrastate telecommunications 
> services, such as local phone service. State Commissions are also 
> delegated responsibility by the FCC to oversee carrier's receiving 
> federal universal service fund dollars. The NMPRC also has a state 
> universal service fund, to which much of the money goes to rural 
> carriers for what are called access reduction payments, which in turn 
> mostly go to maintain and build broadband networks, and a broadband 
> fund which allocated $5 million per year to broadband, and soon $8 
> million due to recently passed legislation. It is possible that if the 
> FCC reclassifies broadband from an information service to a 
> telecommunications service again, that the NMPRC may end up with some 
> level of regulatory oversight of those services, but that remains to 
> be seen. That is pretty much the extent of the NMPRC's involvement in 
> broadband.
>
> As you probably know, legislation was passed in the last legislative 
> session creating a broadband division attached to the New Mexico 
> Department of Information Technology, and it will be well funded. That 
> division will provide a lot of the resources in New Mexico for the 
> funding of broadband projects, and act as a clearinghouse for 
> broadband information and broadband mapping. The NMPRC will be 
> coordinating with the new NMDoIT broadband division in its broadband 
> activities.
>
> Kit Carson Electric Cooperative and Continental Divide Electric 
> Cooperative are two electric cooperatives in New Mexico that are 
> active in providing broadband service to customers within their 
> service area. They have a lot of state and federal funding to do that. 
> I am not sure how many more of the electric cooperatives in the state 
> are considering doing the same, as it is an elective choice of those 
> cooperatives whether to do so or not. It is certainly a nationwide trend.
>
> I hope this email helps. Please feel free to contact me if you have 
> additional questions. Thanks.
>
> Mike
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> *From:* George Richmond <geomrich1 at comcast.net>
> *Sent:* Sunday, May 2, 2021 2:02 PM
> *To:* Ripperger, Mike, PRC <Mike.Ripperger at state.nm.us>
> *Subject:* [EXT] Rural Broadband service in New Mexico
> I write to your as an Observer to the NM PRC on behalf of the League of
> Women Voters Central New Mexico.
>
> Each Wednesday, I log on to the Zoom Call for the PRC meeting, then send
> out a summary to LWV members.
>
> My query today deals with Broadband service in rural New Mexico.
>
> I have learned that there are around 20 electric co ops providing
> electric service over a large geographic part of New Mexico but one that
> has relatively few people.
>
> So, while residents of, say, Socorro, have broad band by which I mean
> internet connections, much of NM does not now have broadband
> connections. And the Socorro Electric Co Op has no plans to provide
> broad band service for their rural clients.
>
> And because of the rural nature of the area the cost to connect people
> via wire would be expensive for a commercial company, like Comcast, that
> I use now.
>
> I do know that school children do  or will need connections to the
> internet and most businesses will as well.
>
> The cost of creating broad band service in rural New Mexico seems to be
> answered by US Govt spending as the state of NM just does not have the
> resources, which are likely to be several billion dollars.
>
> In the first half of the 20th century, the Federal Government created
> the Rural Electrification Program for much of rural America to bring
> people electric power..
>
> Now the challenge for the 21st century seems to be the need for the
> Federal Government to generate a Rural Broadband Program.
>
> I welcome you comments, as well as what role the NM PRC will play.
>
> Thank you very much,
>
> George Richmond
>
> -- 
> George M. Richmond
> 152 Juniper Hill Road, NE
> Albuquerque, NM 87122-1913
>
> C: 505-280-2105
> E: geomrich1 at comcast.net
>
>
> -- 
> This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
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-- 
George M. Richmond
152 Juniper Hill Road, NE
Albuquerque, NM 87122-1913

C: 505-280-2105
E: geomrich1 at comcast.net

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