News

Community Broadband Survey Paves Way for Expanding Digital Access in Southern New Mexico

Like millions of people across the U.S., many residents of Doña Ana County in southern New Mexico struggle to find the internet access they need for school, work and daily life. The reality of what this looks like was brought home to Shelsea Benitez, a student at New Mexico State University, when she helped gather responses for a community broadband survey last fall. She learned about barriers such as cost and availability of internet providers—and about the lengths people would go to when they needed to get online.

Marathon Petroleum helping El Paso neighborhoods close the digital divide

Using the internet is a routine part of life across most of the U.S., but not in the 79905 ZIP code of El Paso, Texas. This section of the city faces a technology gap, or digital divide, which refers to limited broadband internet access because of a lack of availability or financial challenges. This divide is beginning to close, however, in part because of a $100,000 grant from Marathon Petroleum Corp. (MPC) that will help advance a project to bring wireless, high-bandwidth connectivity to the ZIP code’s schools and households for the first time.

40 percent of El Paso households without high-speed internet access.

El Paso, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) - The Texas Comptroller visited University of Texas at El Paso to discuss the lack of high-speed internet access.

Glenn Hegar was joined by University of Texas at El Paso President Heather Wilson Monday as part of his Broadband Listening Tour.

Congresswoman Escobar Votes to Pass Bipartisan Omnibus Appropriations Bill, Secures Over $11.5M in TX-16 Community Funding Projects

Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) voted to pass the $1.5 trillion Bipartisan Omnibus Appropriations Bill. The bill makes several investments on behalf of America’s hardworking families and responds to the crisis in Ukraine by allocating $13.6 billion to support the Ukrainian people and defense forces.

UTEP hosts Operation Connectivity in efforts of bringing more e-learning devices, internet access to students

EL PASO, Texas (Aug. 20, 2021) — The University of Texas at El Paso hosted Operation Connectivity for an update on the group’s progress to provide Texas’ 5.5 million public school students with an e-learning device backed by a dependable internet connection.

Microsoft Announces $100K Grant to TTUHSC El Paso at the 79905 Block Party

Microsoft announced a $100,000 grant to Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso on Tuesday, May 11, at the 79905 Block Party, a celebration of the San Juan, Lincoln and Corbins Sambrano neighborhoods in that ZIP code.