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Many Rural New Mexicans Still Cannot Access High Speed Internet

High-speed Internet has become essential to the everyday lives of most Americans, but it has yet to reach many rural communities in New Mexico.

Some residents there say they feel taken advantage of. They are stuck with snail-paced service while being charged prices that exceed faster plans in urban areas.

A lack of competition and government incentives and the high cost of installing fiber-optic cables in thinly populated areas drive up prices for rural service.

The Federal Communications Commission last week proposed a dramatic expansion of a subsidy program designed to help low-income Americans get high-speed internet. It looks promising for low-income city dwellers but doesn't address the gaping divide between urban and rural residents.

The FCC says estimates that 14 million people in rural areas still lack access to fixed broadband service.

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Information from: The Santa Fe New Mexican, http://www.sfnewmexican.com

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