Bringing schools into the 21st century: Statewide broadband network for schools launches
Jul. 3—Stretched out, the fiber delivered to schools around New Mexico could reach from Albuquerque to Houston.
On Tuesday, the Office of Broadband Access and Expansion announced it is launching the New Mexico Statewide Education Network (SEN) — a more than $100 million project to bring free internet to public and charter schools throughout the state. Almost 900 miles of fiber have been delivered in an effort to digitally connect districts.
"This has been a mammoth undertaking, and we're very excited that the network is finally alive," Ovidiu Viorica, SEN's Broadband and Technology manager, said. "This is an extraordinary achievement that will see productive returns for our children and our state. What's happening today is a signal that New Mexico is truly looking to the future."
To start, the Gadsden Independent School District in Santa Teresa and three Albuquerque charter schools — 21st Century Public Academy, Mark Armijo Academy and Mountain Mahogany Community School — will be linked to the network. The state's Office of Broadband Access and Expansion aims to bring all New Mexico schools online by 2027.
According to a news release, dozens of schools around the state already have opted into the program.
Nearly 15,000 students in these schools will be the first to access the new network. The schools were chosen to go first because they already have infrastructure in place and are "favorable technologically."
Some $100 million in federal dollars and $5 million in state capital outlay are heading toward the project.
Sam Snoddy, executive director of technology at Gadsden Independent School Districts, knows well the challenges when a school district lacks reliable internet. Although the district now has some of the "highest quality internet" in the state, it wasn't always that way, he said.
In the district, 5,000 out of 12,000 students didn't have home internet before the pandemic, Snoddy said. The district is spread out, with many families living in rural or unincorporated areas. During the pandemic, access issues became apparent.
"Their choices for internet were satellite," Snoddy said. "At the time, it was running $160 per month for less than 10 megabytes of service."
The district tried giving out hotspots, but cell service was unreliable in some parts. So for students without internet access, their parents had to drive to schools to pick up printed packets, and students struggled to have even email interactions with their teachers, let alone video conferences.
Ironically, Snoddy said, the district had given out Chromebooks to students before the pandemic, only to find out that many students had no way to use them at home.
Starting in summer 2022, the district started work on a broadband project. Construction recently concluded, Snoddy said. It's free home internet for families with a student in the district, and so far, between 2,000 and 3,000 families have signed up.
"We were stuck in 19th-century schooling," Snoddy said. "... By providing (internet access) to our families, we literally moved them to the 21st century."
Although Gadsden is in a good place now, Snoddy said, other districts in the state are still struggling. But if enough districts sign onto the state network, increasing the customer base, he thinks more companies will be incentivized to bid.
Bidding started in 2021 and is happening in phases.
