New Mexico is asking for public feedback as it prepares to launch a statewide broadband affordability program. This program aims to help low-income households pay for high-speed internet now that the federal Affordable Connectivity Program has ended.
The Low-Income Telecommunications Assistance Program started on July 1. It was created by Senate Bill 152 and is run by the New Mexico Office of Broadband Access and Expansion. People can start signing up on December 1, after the state finishes setting the rules.
State officials say this is the first statewide program made to replace the federal Affordable Connectivity Program, or ACP. The ACP ended in 2024 because Congress did not provide more funding.
The New Mexico Public Regulation Commission has suggested rules for how eligible residents can get broadband discounts from participating internet providers. Providers would tell customers about the discounts, check income eligibility using a federal database, and apply the savings to monthly bills before asking the State Rural Universal Service Fund for reimbursement.
People can send in comments about the proposed rules until September 11. Reply comments are due by September 21. There will be a public hearing on October 1.
The state program is similar to the old federal ACP. It gives monthly discounts of up to $30 for most eligible households and up to $70 for those on tribal lands. However, unlike the ACP, the state program does not offer a one-time discount for computers, tablets, or other devices.
State officials think about 27,000 New Mexico households will get help in the program’s first year. If more funding becomes available, the program could help up to 100,000 households. Before the federal program ended, over 180,000 New Mexico households got federal broadband help.
Jeff Lopez, who leads the Office of Broadband Access and Expansion, said the program will help families stay connected to important online services like education, telehealth, job training, and job opportunities.
The state program will use money from New Mexico’s State Rural Universal Service Fund, not federal funds like the ACP. This fund helps pay for telecommunications in rural, high-cost, and underserved areas.
The fund will give about $10 million for the program’s first year. In future years, the Public Regulation Commission could allow up to $45 million each year. The money will come from a $1.50 charge on voice and cell phone bills.
The old program offered monthly broadband subsidies of up to $30 for most households and up to $75 for eligible tribal households until funding ended in 2024.
New Mexico is one of the first states to set up a statewide replacement program. Other states like New York, Connecticut, California, and Oregon have started similar programs, but each one uses a different way to fund and structure benefits.
