[1st-mile-nm] State officials eye broadband in New Mexico rural schools

[Richard Lowenberg]

Following is a short AP article posted today, which I think deserves some consideration
and productive follow-up discussion on this list.   Below it is an excerpt from an article
posted just over one year ago.    

My understanding and experience is that statewide schools' broadband and tech. surveys
have been repeatedly conducted over the past 8 years, to determine which are the most 
in-need schools and what the costs would be.    Where are survey results?   What is the status 
of last year's SB-159 funding allocation?    Why will it take 3-5 more years to connect schools 
to 1Mb access, as noted by Ovidiu Viorica?     This is not broadband, and is not adequate.
This is not a matter of cost or technical difficulty.    It is a matter of lack of will.    

Broadband connecting all NM schools is a rapidly achievable initiative, bringing together
the State, telecom. providers, federal funding, community buy-in and shared networking
opportunities, with economically and socially benefiting win-win outcomes.
What's stopping us?  

RL

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State officials eye broadband in New Mexico rural schools

Created: 06/03/2015 
By: RUSSELL CONTRERAS Associated Press

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) - State officials say they hope to get broadband into most New Mexico schools by the end of the decade.
Ovidiu Viorica, who oversees a broadband program for the New Mexico Public Schools Facilities Authority, told a legislative committee on Tuesday that officials are still trying to determine the costs.

Viorica says officials are wrapping up a statewide survey to determine what rural school districts face challenges in getting broadband.
He says the goal is to get 1,000 kilobits per second for students and staff by 2018.

State officials say New Mexico still lags behind many states, including Utah and Mississippi, on broadband access in public schools.
Officials say broadband in schools is needed because of new online testing requirements and a changing world of teaching.

(Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

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March 10, 2014

Bill Signed to Invest $50 Million in Broadband Infrastructure for Public Schools

Santa Fe, NM – Governor Susana Martinez signed Senate Bill 159 (SB159), sponsored by Senator Jacob Candelaria (D-26-Bernalillo) and co-sponsored by Representative Mimi Stewart (D-21-Bernalillo). The bill will allow the Public School Capital Outlay Council (PSCOC) to expend up to $10 million annually for the next five fiscal years, to correct deficiencies in broadband infrastructure in schools statewide.

www.nmsenate.com/2014/03/10/bill-signed-to-invest-50-million-into-technology-infrastructure-for-public-schools/


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Richard Lowenberg, Executive Director
1st-Mile Institute          www.1st-mile.org  
P. O.  Box 8001, Santa Fe, NM    87504
505-603-5200                 rl at 1st-mile.org
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