[1st-mile-nm] Media Literacy Project & Free Press meet with Senator Tom Udall’s Office on Municipal Broadband

[Richard Lowenberg]

Last Wed., representatives of the Albuquerque based Media Literacy 
Project met with Senator Udall's Office.
The following is copied from their press release at:
http://medialiteracyproject.org/news/pressroom/media-literacy-project-free-press-meet-senator-tom-udall%E2%80%99s-office-municipal-broadband


Many rural New Mexicans know all too well the disconnection and loss of 
opportunities that stem from a lack of affordable high-speed Internet 
access. However, the promise of affordable and efficient access has 
eluded many urban New Mexicans as well. Though Internet service 
providers (ISPs) like AT&T, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, and Verizon have 
largely confined their broadband deployment to urban and suburban 
regions; there are examples across the country of urban communities that 
have opted to create their own broadband networks because of these 
companies’ failure to meet their needs.

On Wednesday, Media Literacy Project and members of Free Press met with 
U.S. Senator Tom Udall’s Office in Albuquerque to discuss the Udall’s 
role in protecting New Mexico’s ability to establish municipal 
broadband, and encourage the development of low-cost, high performance 
broadband in our state.  At least 19 states across the country have 
already passed legislation that restricts municipal broadband.  In many 
cases, these laws that limit or outright ban municipal networks have 
been passed by state legislatures acting at the behest of cable and 
phone companies.

More than a luxury, thousands of New Mexico families depend on the 
Internet to stay connected with friends and family, search for 
employment, manage our banking and health care, and advance our 
children’s education. However, there are many New Mexicans that sit on 
the opposite side of the digital divide and cannot afford any kind of 
Internet access. With New Mexico’s proud tradition of strong family 
bonds and community connectivity, it is counterproductive and 
countercultural to allow corporate interests to impede municipalities in 
our state from coming together and building infrastructure for New 
Mexico’s Children.

Media Literacy Project and Free Press consider broadband a modern-day 
utility. An essential service that connects communities, municipal 
broadband makes civic services accessible, improves the technology 
available to educators, and provides tools that support local economies. 
Both groups invited Senator Udall to consider the value of New Mexican 
municipalities owning their broadband infrastructure, and the economic 
impact of creating local jobs to operate and maintain broadband each 
broadband network. Both groups further reminded Udall’s office that the 
decision about whether to build a local broadband network is best made 
by the community that would to build it — not the major industry players 
that stand to benefit from reduced competition.

After an informative meeting that included local experts, concerned 
community members, and former public access television provider 
Quote-UnQuote Inc., Media Literacy Project and Free Press urged Senator 
Udall to take the lead on
a federal law that would prohibit any anti-competitive bans on 
municipal broadband maintaining that it is critical to ensuring that 
everyone has affordable high-speed Internet access.

Contact Information:
Hakim Bellamy hakim at medialiteracyproject.org 505.828.3129



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Richard Lowenberg
1st-Mile Institute
Box 8001, Santa Fe, NM 87504
505-989-9110 / 505-603-5200
www.1st-mile.com   rl at 1st-mile.com
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