SANTA FE – April 7, 2026 – Visitors to 12 of New Mexico’s historic sites and museums will have free public Wi-Fi access after the state’s broadband office awarded the Department of Cultural Affairs a $460,000 grant to establish connectivity at sites ranging from the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque to the Bosque Redondo Memorial at Fort Sumner.
The award comes from the Office of Broadband Access and Expansion (OBAE) through its Community Connect Grant Program, which funds public Wi-Fi expansion in communities across New Mexico. The Department of Cultural Affairs will use the grant to establish 213 new access points across 12 locations, with the project required to be completed by June 30, 2027.
“Wi-Fi accessibility and convenience in these public places will enhance the experience for anyone visiting these locations,” said Jeff Lopez, OBAE’s director. “This Wi-Fi access will help close the state’s digital divide and help travelers, remote workers, and others receive internet service in public places.”
“This investment in public Wi-Fi is a vital step toward expanding digital inclusion across New Mexico, particularly at the culturally significant sites that connect communities to our shared heritage,” said DCA Cabinet Secretary Debra Garcia y Griego.“By improving access to reliable high-speed internet, we are not only enhancing educational opportunities and enriching visitor experiences, but also providing an additional service by making broadband more accessible for the communities in which we are privileged to work.”
The sites getting public Wi-Fi include:
- Bosque Redondo Memorial at Fort Sumner Historic Site, Ft. Sumner
- Coronado Historic Site, Bernalillo
- Jemez Historic Site, Jemez Springs
- Ft. Selden Historic Site, Radium Springs
- Los Luceros Historic Site, Rio Arriba County
- Taylor-Mesilla Historic Site, Historic Mesilla Plaza, Mesilla
- Center for NM Archeology, Santa Fe
- NM Museum of Indian Art and Culture, Santa Fe,
- NM Museum of International Folk Art, Santa Fe
- Stewart L. Udall Center for Museum Resources, Santa Fe
- Laboratory of Anthropology, Santa Fe
- National Hispanic Cultural Center, Albuquerque
“This Wi-Fi grant program aligns perfectly with our mission to preserve and interpret the cultural resources of New Mexico,” said Anne McCudden, executive director of NM Historic Sites. “It will also open up new avenues for community engagement, educational outreach, and cultural tourism, all of which are crucial for the sustainability and growth of our historic sites.”
This grant is the seventh awarded through OBAE’s Community Connect Grant Program. Previous recipients include the cities of Las Cruces and Raton, Luna and Dona Ana counties, SWC Telesolutions, Inc., and Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell. They received awards totaling $6.7 million.
The program draws from the $70 million Connect New Mexico Fund, established in 2021 by the legislature through the Connect New Mexico Act.
These Wi-Fi projects are part of the approximately $900 million in fiscal investments the state is making in building broadband infrastructure to homes, businesses and farms across New Mexico.
To see all ongoing and completed broadband projects, please visit maps.connect.nm.gov.
