If you live in rural Southeast New Mexico, you’ve probably had this moment:
Sitting at the kitchen table, doing the math, wondering what bill has to give—and sometimes, it’s the internet.
Out here, internet isn’t a luxury. It’s how your kids turn in homework, how you see a doctor without driving for miles, how you apply for work, and how small businesses stay open.
New Mexico’s Senate Bill 152 (SB 152) is now law, creating a state-level program to help eligible low‑income families afford internet service.
And as your local internet cooperative provider, we pushed for this because it matters to you.
When federal support ended, families across our area felt it—parents juggling school assignments, seniors depending on telehealth, neighbors driving into parking lots just to catch WiFi.
So our COO, Mitch Hibbard, spoke up.
Not for “the industry,” but for you—students, seniors, working parents, and rural families who need reliable internet to take part in everyday life.
And now, that effort is paying off.
The SB 152 creates a new program, run through the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission (PRC), is being built now. Early public documents point to:
  • Up to $30/month in support for eligible households
  • A structure similar to past affordability programs you may have used
  • A stable, state-run solution rather than short‑term federal assistance
Because you’ve known this for a long time: even if broadband reaches your home, it doesn’t mean the monthly bill is easy to manage.
SB 152 helps close that gap.
In rural areas, distance changes everything.
Long drives to doctors, weather delays, miles between home and school—online access becomes essential, not optional.
SB 152 won’t fix everything overnight, but it’s a meaningful step. It recognizes your family’s reality and helps lighten one of your biggest burdens: the monthly cost.
As your cooperative, we sit at the same kitchen tables and drive the same roads. When more families can afford service, more families can connect—and the whole community benefits.
The state is finalizing program details now, and we’ll share clear, simple updates as soon as they’re available.
This is progress. This is a win for rural New Mexico. And it moves us closer to a future where more families can get connected.
If you want to talk through options for your home, come say hi, give us a call, or stop by our office.
We’re local, just like you. We’re your cooperative. Let’s connect.