ENMR scores $50 million to expand high-speed internet

Clovis-based ENMR Telephone Cooperative is to receive close to $50 million to expand high-speed internet in eastern New Mexico.

The news came from the offices of U.S. Sens. Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luján and Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández that the National Telecommunications and Information Administration awarded $49.8 million in infrastructure law funding to ENMR.

“I am thrilled to see the bipartisan infrastructure law continue to invest in New Mexicans. Every person needs reliable Internet access – whether it’s to do homework, operate a small business, or to access telemedicine,” Heinrich said.

“Homegrown New Mexico broadband providers have an inherent incentive to serve the community because it means connecting family, neighbors, and local schools,” Lujan said.

He added the investments will bring faster, stronger, and more affordable connections to our rural communities in eastern New Mexico – an important step toward bridging the digital divide.

“Our community’s connectivity is essential for our families to work, learn, and stay healthy,” Leger Fernandez said.

ENMR Chief Executive Officer Launa Waller said the company is “elated” with the award, “which will enable us to significantly upgrade our infrastructure and provide improved connectivity to our customers.”

Waller said the grant allows ENMR to complete what she describes as a significant project without incurring additional debt, helping ensure its sustainability and profitability.

Clovis Mayor Mike Morris also said he was excited about the funding, “which will increase resiliency and bandwidth with upgrades and new fiber routes for ENMR. We are grateful for this investment in ENMR’s network infrastructure.”

In addition to the ENMR grant, two Roosevelt County projects were awarded grants, funded through federal Infrastructure Act funding, the joint news release announced.

The Roosevelt County grant allocations included:

• $275,000 for the Roosevelt County Detention Center to plan, design, and complete necessary electrical and plumbing upgrades

• $495,000 for the City of Portales Fire Department to purchase a new rescue engine.

In addition, Heinrich announced in a separate news release that a $2 million fire station and emergency communications center may be in the works for Cannon Air Force Base. The project is included in a military installation and veterans services bill that received unanimous, bipartisan approval by the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, which Heinrich chairs.

The Cannon AFB project was one of nine in New Mexico that are included in the military and veterans’ services bill, Heinrich’s news release stated.

The appropriations bill is now subject to a vote on the Senate floor. The House is considering its own appropriations bills, and it is likely that both the House and Senate will pass their own bills and then conference those two bills, Caty Payette, a Heinrich spokesperson, said on Friday.

“There are still quite a few steps it must go through,” she said. “But we will continue to work to see that this funding is included in the final fiscal year 2024 government funding package.”