Bringing Broadband to The Desert: Rural New Mexico, Fiberoptic Cable, and Electric Utility Cooperatives

Janette A. Duran · 2019 · UNM’s Digital Repository (University of New Mexico)

Summary. New Mexico should allow commercial telecommunications companies to run fiber optic cables through electric utility easements to expand broadband access to rural communities. The paper argues that existing state law would likely prohibit this practice based on a recent Eighth Circuit ruling, but New Mexico's geographic isolation and lack of commercial incentives make broadband access critical. Preemptive legislation could enable fiber deployment through utility easements without violating easement restrictions.

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Duran, J. A.. (2019). Bringing Broadband to The Desert: Rural New Mexico, Fiberoptic Cable, and Electric Utility Cooperatives. UNM’s Digital Repository (University of New Mexico). https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/nmlr/vol49/iss2/9

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  title   = {Bringing Broadband to The Desert: Rural New Mexico, Fiberoptic Cable, and Electric Utility Cooperatives},
  author  = {Janette A. Duran},
  journal = {UNM’s Digital Repository (University of New Mexico)},
  year    = {2019},
  url     = {https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/nmlr/vol49/iss2/9}
}

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Details

Countries: United States
Regions: North America
Categories: broadband-and-digital, policy
Added: 2026-04-28