NMSurf, a veteran-owned broadband provider based in Santa Fe, NM, has criticized a $29 million BEAD-funded overbuild in Santa Fe County being carried out by Sacred Wind Communications. The company asserts the overbuild targets areas that NMSurf already serves with reliable fixed wireless broadband, calling the allocation unnecessary and wasteful.
State filings show Sacred Wind Communications was awarded $22 million in federal BEAD funding toward a total project cost of $29 million, intended to reach 1,071 locations in the county at a cost of roughly $27,000 per location. NMSurf maintains it already covers about 75% of those locations with technology that meets or exceeds BEAD performance standards.
“This is a textbook example of wasteful federal spending,” said Albert Catanach, founder and CEO of NMSurf. “Taxpayer dollars are being used to duplicate service where it already exists, while unserved communities across New Mexico await broadband. As a veteran-owned small business, we’ve invested years building reliable networks in Santa Fe County – and now public funds are being used to overbuild what is already in place.”
In a broader appeal, NMSurf is urging the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and New Mexico’s Office of Broadband Access and Expansion (OBAE) to intervene to prevent overbuilding and ensure fair treatment of veteran-owned providers. The group called for: using FCC Broadband Data Collection maps to determine unserved areas, halting overbuilding in areas where service already exists, and removing procedural barriers that impede veteran-owned small providers from competing more effectively.
While proponents say BEAD funds aim to close the digital divide, NMSurf warns the Santa Fe County example highlights a nationwide risk that funds may be diverted to already-served areas. The company urges decision-makers to prioritize unserved households and ensure that every federal dollar strengthens rural broadband access across New Mexico and the United States.
