Here in New Mexico nearly 9% of the state does not have access to broadband. That is 196,000 homes and businesses that lack access to school, to e-commerce, and the many opportunities that the internet holds[i]. New Mexico’s children, our future leaders, our teachers, they are all being let down right now, because they don’t have access to high-speed internet.
And unfortunately, it is all too familiar, the digital divide in New Mexico runs parallel with the existing educational gaps identified in the Yazzie-Martinez lawsuit[ii]. For those who have not heard of the lawsuit, it was to determine whether New Mexico was meeting its constitutional obligation to provide an “adequate, sufficient education” to students. As you may have guessed, the court found that this obligation was not met – ruling in favor of the plaintiff, Yazzie-Martinez. But the point I’d like to stress, is that the greatest educational gaps were identified amongst low-income urban and rural families. These are the same families who are most likely to lack the resources needed to afford a home internet connection.
And you might be thinking, it is the 21st century, internet is necessary to everyday life. How do this many people lack access to internet?! I mean you are reading this very blog-- on none other than, the internet!
So, yes, it is true, internet is necessary to everyday life in the 21st century -- even when a pandemic isn't raging outside our doors. But in fact, a pandemic is raging outside our doors! Classes are online, groceries are online. It won’t be long until Amazon is delivering prescriptions to our doorstep with drones. Yet, 9% of our population still lack access to internet. So, what’s the deal?
There are over 150 Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in New Mexico, yet we rank 49th in the nation for state broadband access[iii]. One in five students in low-income rural and urban areas of New Mexico did not have access to high-speed internet at the onset of Covid-19 and 18% of homes only have access to one wired internet service provider[i]. If residents are not satisfied with their internet, they have no other options.
But how has it gotten this bad?
In New Mexico, towns and people are dispersed, ISPs have become natural monopolies in many parts of the state. (Which just means that the most efficient number of internet providers, is one.) This little bit of information is important though, it is why 18% of the state have no choice in internet providers. Providers have to lay down millions in infrastructure; in reality, it really is not practical to have multiple wireless providers in small towns like Crownpoint, New Mexico where the population is less than 2,500. So, it makes sense why there isn’t competition, but it doesn’t make sense why these cities and people have been neglected.
And it is definitely not because these monopolies have simply forgotten about towns like Crownpoint and Zuni -- these firms, like all firms, are profit maximizers, they know what they are doing. Yes, investing in more infrastructure will eventually pay off; but why spend money when you are already making money now?
Selfish? Yes. Short-sighted? Yes. But stupid? No. These decisions were well calculated. They chose not to invest in our future.
So that’s how our situation has become so dire. But what can we do about it? And is there any hope at all?
Well, the good news is there is most definitely hope – we are New Mexicans, we are gritty, and hard-nosed, so of course there is hope! But – New Mexico, consumers, policy makers – we must be smart. We cannot let this continue. Our children’s lives are at stake. The economic potential of New Mexico is at stake. Our future is at stake.
But as I said, there is hope and we have multiple options.
There are temporary solutions, for instance, we could reopen schools and send our kids back to the classroom. However, this does not truly address the digital divide here in New Mexico -- business owners, entrepreneurs, they still would not have access if we don’t address the larger problem here. And in addition to not addressing the equity issues, going back to school in the middle of a pandemic, without a doubt, puts students and faculty at increased risk of infection.
We could also try a 100% connected initiative. In New Mexico, almost every ISP signed the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Keep America Connected pledge, which asked ISPs to waive late fees, missed payments, and even costs for internet subscriptions during Covid-19[iv].
Building on this momentum, the 100% connected initiative could ask ISPs to connect all of New Mexico’s homes and businesses to broadband services. But I have my doubts about this option. ISPs were quick to accept the social pressure of FCC’s pledge, but the asks of the pledge only resulted in a marginal loss of revenue for ISPs[iv]. Given the substantial investment required to connect rural New Mexico locations, it is doubtful that social pressure will be enough to inspire ISPs to action. And who were the ones that let this situation get so dire in the first place? Ahhh, yes, that’s right. Well on that note, I doubt we’ll see too much headway in this direction.
Don’t lose hope just yet though, we’ve got plenty more options, New Mexico. We could try more innovative, disruptive solutions like 5G blimps. A Switzerland-based company, Sceye picked New Mexico as its U.S. base, the company says it could provide the whole state of New Mexico with internet using just five blimps; yes, I said blimps. Sceye is now negotiating a deal to provide broadband access to the Navajo Nation and other underserved areas of the state[v]. So that is pretty cool. Plus, this means we are one step closer to hanging out with Charles Muntz’s in The Spirit of Adventure.
But what got us here in the first place is using temporary solutions. Remember, I said we need to be smart right now. Let’s not make the same mistake of using Band-Aids when in all reality, stitches are needed. A wise person once told me, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. So, let’s try something different this time New Mexico.
We need the state to adopt changes, long-term solutions, now! A New Mexico Broadband council is a start.
We have stellar personnel in the state. Gar Clarke, the geospatial information officer for the state of New Mexico, serves as the liaison between the state’s Department of Information Technology (DoIT) and tribal nations and communities. He coordinates Broadband planning and implementation projects that touch state, local, and tribal entities.
Dr. Richard Bowman, named to the 40 under 40 list in 2019, is the Chief Information and Strategy Officer of the Albuquerque Public Schools, where he leads data strategy and technology.
Micaela Fischer is the Program Evaluation Manager for the Legislative Finance Committee. She has been working to manage LFC’s efforts on broadband infrastructure since 2019.
These people are rock stars, and they are a reflection of the broader expertise across the state.
While I researched the current state of broadband in New Mexico, Mr. Clarke, Dr. Bowman, and Ms. Fisher were all more than eager to share their knowledge. But unfortunately, we are missing this on a state level; all of our resources are discombobulated. The organization we have now results in inefficiencies and inconsistent implementation of programs. A Broadband council could harness all of the state’s expertise.
But truthfully, a Broadband council is just the beginning, we need to do something bigger. If ISPs won’t take action on their own, then we need to incentivize them further. A policy option first proposed in Mississippi, is an interesting take on incentivizing ISPs[vi]. Essentially, a grant marketplace is created where each ISP bids for projects. If the firms are monopolists, then why not let the market do what it does best? Make it competitive, create competition, and bring down the price of internet. Let the ISPs bid to the best price.
New Mexico DoIT recommended something just like this – a statewide grant program for broadband development[i]. The program would solicit proposals from ISPs to service 154,000 additional locations through a public-private partnership[i].
And at this point you might be thinking if ISPs have been taking advantage of us, then why won’t they do it again? But we’ve learned from our mistakes, ISPs will not take advantage of us again. The NM Broadband council will have rigorous project rating criteria designed to equitably distribute funds based on the creation of local public-private partnerships, impact, sustainability, financial and technical viability, breadth of community support, and the assessed benefits of digital inclusion[i].
Now this sounds great, right? Unfortunately, it would take at least three years to establish the council, to begin the bidding process and, to establish new infrastructure projects. But this is the type of long-term investment that New Mexico needs.
If we are to bridge the digital divide in New Mexico we need this to be a collective action approach. We need to reach out to our representatives at the local and state level. We need to let them know that we won’t stand for this digital inequity any longer. We all have a right to an education; a free and sufficient public education is constitutionally required in New Mexico[ii]! We all deserve an equal playing field. Our students and children deserve it, our business owners deserve it, our entrepreneurs and innovators deserve it.
New Mexico, we deserve more, and we should demand more.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[i] New Mexico Department of Information Technology 2020. “State of New Mexico Broadband Strategic Plan and Rural Broadband Assessment.” https://www.doit.state.nm.us/ broadband/reports/nmbbp_strategic_plan-20200616.pdf [ii] Gudgel, R., 2018. Yazzie and Martinez V. State Of New Mexico: July 20, 2018 Decision and Order. [pdf] Albuquerque: Legislative Education Study Committee, pp.1-8. https://www.nmlegis.gov/handouts/ALESC%20081518%20Item%2012%20.1%20-%20Brief%20-%20Decision%20and%20Order-Yazzie%20and%20Martinez%20v%20 State%20of%20NM.pdf [iii] BroadbandNow. 2020. Internet Access In New Mexico: Stats & Figures. [online] Available at: <https://broadbandnow.com/New-Mexico> [Accessed 18 November 2020]. [iv] New Mexico Legislative Education Study Committee 2020a. “Internet Service Provider Responses to Covid-19 and the Digital Divide.” 54th Legislature, Legislative Interim. August 26. Webcast, 9:01:51 http://sg001-harmony.sliq.net/00293/Harmony/en/ PowerBrowser/PowerBrowserV2/20200826/-1/66583 [v] Contreras, R., 2020. High-Altitude Airships Company Picks New Mexico For Base. [online] The Washington Post. Available at: <https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/high-altitude-airships-company-picks-new-mexico-for-base/2020/08/18/7dca7716-e16b-11ea-82d8-5e55d47e90ca_story.html> [Accessed 18 November 2020]. [vi] “State Education Policy Tracking.” 2020. Education Commission of the States. https://www.ecs.org/state-education-policy-tracking/ [accessed September 22, 2020]. Here in New Mexico nearly 9% of the state does not have access to broadband. That is 196,000 homes and businesses that lack access to school, to e-commerce, and the many opportunities that the internet holds[i]. New Mexico’s children, our future leaders, our teachers, they are all being let down right now, because they don’t have access to high speed internet.
And unfortunately, it is all too familiar, the digital divide in New Mexico runs parallel with the existing educational gaps identified in the Martinez-Yazzie lawsuit[ii]. The lawsuit identified that the greatest gaps are amongst low-income urban and rural families. These are the same families who are most likely to lack the resources needed to afford a home internet connection.
And you might be thinking, it is the 21st century, internet is necessary to everyday life. How do this many people lack access to internet?! I mean you are reading this very blog-- on none other than, the internet!
So, yes, it is true, internet is necessary to everyday life in the 21st century -- even when a pandemic isn't raging outside our doors. But in fact, a pandemic is raging outside our doors! Classes are online, groceries are online. It won’t be long until Amazon is delivering prescriptions to our doorstep with drones. Yet, 9% of our population still lack access to internet. So, what’s the deal?
There are over 150 Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in New Mexico, yet we rank 49th in the nation for state broadband access[iii]. One in five students in low-income rural and urban areas of New Mexico did not have access to high-speed internet at the onset of Covid-19 and 18% of homes only have access to one wired internet service providers[i]. If residents are not satisfied with their internet, they have no other options to turn to.
But how has it gotten this bad?
In New Mexico, towns and people are dispersed, ISPs have become natural monopolies in many parts of the state. That is why 18% of the state have no choice in internet providers. Providers have to lay down millions in infrastructure; in reality, it really is not practical to have multiple wireless providers in small towns like Crownpoint, New Mexico where the population is less than 2,500. So, it makes sense why there isn’t competition, but it doesn’t make sense why these cities and people have been neglected.
And it is definitely not because these monopolies have simply forgotten about towns like Crownpoint and Zuni -- these firms, like all firms, are profit maximizers, they know what they are doing. Yes, investing in more infrastructure will eventually pay off; but why spend money when you are already making money now?
Selfish? Yes. Short-sided? Yes. But stupid? No. These decisions were well calculated. They chose not to invest in our future.
So that’s how our situation has become so dire. But what can we do about it? And is there any hope at all?
Well, the good news is there is most definitely hope – we are New Mexicans, we are gritty, and hard-nosed, so of course there is hope! But – New Mexico, consumers, policy makers – we must be smart. We cannot let this continue. Our children’s lives are at stake. The economic potential of New Mexico is at stake. Our future is at stake.
But as I said, there is hope and we have multiple options.
There are temporary solutions, for instance, we could reopen schools and send our kiddos back to the classroom. However, this does not truly address the digital divide here in New Mexico -- business owners, entrepreneurs, they still would not have access if we don’t address the larger problem here. And in addition to not addressing the equity issues, going back to school in the middle of a pandemic, without a doubt, puts students and faculty at increased risk of infection.
We could also try a 100% connected initiative. In New Mexico, almost every ISP signed the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Keep America Connected pledge, which asked ISPs to waive late fees, missed payments, and even subscription costs for internet subscriptions during Covid-19[iv].
Building on this momentum, the 100% connected initiative could ask ISPs to connect all of New Mexico’s homes and businesses to broadband services. But I have my doubts about this option. ISPs were quick to accept the social pressure of FCC’s pledge, but the asks of the pledge only resulted in a marginal loss of revenue for ISPs[iv]. Given the substantial investment required to connect rural New Mexico locations, it is doubtful that social pressure will be enough to inspire ISPs to action. And who were the ones that let this situation get so dire in the first place? Ahhh, yes, that’s right. Well on that note, I doubt we’ll see too much headway in this direction.
Don’t lose hope just yet though, we’ve got plenty more options New Mexico. We could try more innovative, disruptive solutions like 5G blimps. A Switzerland-based company, Sceye picked New Mexico as its U.S. base, the company says it could provide the whole state of New Mexico with internet using just five blimps; yes, I said blimps. Sceye is now negotiating a deal to provide broadband access to the Navajo Nation and other underserved areas of the state[v]. So that is pretty cool. Plus, this means we are one step closer to hanging out with Charles Muntz’s in The Spirit of Adventure.
But what got us here in the first place is using temporary solutions. Remember, I said we need to be smart right now. Let’s not make the same mistake of using Band-Aids when in all reality, stitches are needed. A wise person once told me, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. So, let’s try something different this time New Mexico.
We need the state to adopt changes, long-term solutions, now! A New Mexico Broadband council is a start.
We have stellar personnel in the state. Gar Clarke, the geospatial information officer for the state of New Mexico, serves as the liaison between the state’s Department of Information Technology(DoIT) and tribal nations and communities. He coordinates Broadband planning and implementation projects that touch state, local, and tribal entities.
Dr. Richard Bowman, named to the 40 under 40 list in 2019, is the Chief Information and Strategy Officer of the Albuquerque Public Schools, where he leads data strategy and technology.
Micaela Fischer is the Program Evaluation Manager for the Legislative Finance Committee. She has been working to manage LFC’s efforts on broadband infrastructure since 2019.
These people are rock stars, and they are a reflection of the broader expertise across the state.
While I researched the current state of broadband in New Mexico, Mr. Clarke, Dr. Bowman, and Ms. Fisher were all more than eager to share their knowledge. But unfortunately, we are missing this on a state level, all of our resources are discombobulated, the organization we have now results in inefficiencies and inconsistent implementation of programs. A Broadband council could harness all of the state’s expertise.
But truthfully, a Broadband council is just the beginning, we need to do something bigger. If ISPs won’t take action on their own, then we need to incentivize them further. A policy option first proposed in Mississippi, is an interesting take on incentivizing ISPs[vi]. Essentially, a grant marketplace is created where each ISP bids for projects. If the firms are monopolists, then why not let the market do what it does best? Make it competitive, create competition, and bring down the price of internet. Let the ISPs bid to the best price.
New Mexico DoIT recommended something just like this – a statewide grant program for broadband development[i]. The program would solicit proposals from ISPs to service 154,000 additional locations through a public-private partnership[i].
And at this point you might be thinking if ISPs have been taking advantage of us, then why won’t they do it again? But we’ve learned from our mistakes, ISPs will not take advantage of us again. The NM Broadband council will have rigorous project rating criteria designed to equitably distribute funds based on the creation of local public-private partnerships, impact, sustainability, financial and technical viability, breadth of community support, and the assessed benefits of digital inclusion[i].
Now this sounds great, right? Unfortunately, it would take at least three years to establish the council, to begin the bidding process and, to establish new infrastructure projects. But this is the type of long-term investment that New Mexico needs.
If we are to bridge the digital divide in New Mexico we need this to be a collective action approach. We need to reach out to our representatives at the local and state level. We need to let them know that we won’t stand for this digital inequity any longer. We all have a right to an education; a free and sufficient public education is constitutionally required in New Mexico[ii]! We all deserve an equal playing field. Our students and children deserve it, our business owners deserve it, our entrepreneurs and innovators deserve it.
New Mexico, we deserve more, and we should demand more.
_________________________________________________________________________
[i] New Mexico Department of Information Technology 2020. “State of New Mexico Broadband Strategic Plan and Rural Broadband Assessment.” https://www.doit.state.nm.us/ broadband/reports/nmbbp_strategic_plan-20200616.pdf [ii] Gudgel, R., 2018. Yazzie and Martinez V. State Of New Mexico: July 20, 2018 Decision and Order. [pdf] Albuquerque: Legislative Education Study Committee, pp.1-8. https://www.nmlegis.gov/handouts/ALESC%20081518%20Item%2012%20.1%20-%20Brief%20-%20Decision%20and%20Order-Yazzie%20and%20Martinez%20v%20 State%20of%20NM.pdf [iii] BroadbandNow. 2020. Internet Access In New Mexico: Stats & Figures. [online] Available at: <https://broadbandnow.com/New-Mexico> [Accessed 18 November 2020]. [iv] New Mexico Legislative Education Study Committee 2020a. “Internet Service Provider Responses to Covid-19 and the Digital Divide.” 54th Legislature, Legislative Interim. August 26. Webcast, 9:01:51 http://sg001-harmony.sliq.net/00293/Harmony/en/ PowerBrowser/PowerBrowserV2/20200826/-1/66583 [v] Contreras, R., 2020. High-Altitude Airships Company Picks New Mexico For Base. [online] The Washington Post. Available at: <https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/high-altitude-airships-company-picks-new-mexico-for-base/2020/08/18/7dca7716-e16b-11ea-82d8-5e55d47e90ca_story.html> [Accessed 18 November 2020]. [vi] “State Education Policy Tracking.” 2020. Education Commission of the States. https://www.ecs.org/state-education-policy-tracking/ [accessed September 22, 2020].
Casas, A., 2020. Digital Divide: 'My Children's Classroom Is Our Car'. [image] Available at: <https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-us-canada-54148804> [Accessed 18 November 2020].