On this page you’ll find all the information you need to buy internet service in New Mexico. Below we cover who the major internet service providers in New Mexico are, what the 3G coverage looks like, internet options made available to college students and a starter guide to the free internet hot spots in the state.
Find the Best Internet Service Provider in Your Area of New Mexico
Local Residential Internet Service Providers
Below you’ll find information for the smaller, local service providers in New Mexico. These two in particular focus on residential services.
- Plateau: Pleateau has DSL packages available depending on your area in the state. One example would be in Logan, New Mexico; their NetBasic package costs $34.95/month with downloads up to 1.5 Mbps. They also have a NetPreferred package for $39.95 at 3 Mbps download, NetPremium for $59.95 and 6 Mbps download. Their NetUltra package costs $99.95 with downloads up to 10 Mbps. You can inquire about the available packages in your area by calling them first at 877.752.8328.
- TULAROSA COMMUNICATIONS: Tularosa Communications offers wireless internet starting with their Wireless Internet Tier 1 package with 512 Kbps download for $29.99. Their Wireless Internet Tier 2 package with 1.5 Mbps download costs $39.99 and their Wireless Internet Tier 3 package with 3.0 Mbps download costs $49.99. The service is only available in certain areas of New Mexico. Call them by dialing 575-585-2700.
Local Business Internet Service Providers
And these 3 New Mexico ISPs focus on providing internet services to businesses.
- Southwest Cyberport: Southwest Cyberport provides internet access over a stand-alone phone line, using a fiber optic network to provide blazing fast speeds. Packages start at $72 for 1.5 Mbps ownload speed. and reach $170 at 20 Mbps download speed. Phone them at 505 232-7992.
- Cyber Mesa: Cyber Mesa has obtainable speeds that btart from 1.5 megabits per second up to 30 megabits per second, typically in 1.5 megabit increments. The service does require proximity to the center of town. Maximum speeds are dependent on the distance to their facility. Enterprise Ethernet, like a T1 circuit, offers the same speed in both directions at the same time. Neither DSL nor cable can make that claim – and they both depend on a single line, i.e. a single point of failure. Prices of packages are not stated on their site as you can contact them to request a quotation by dialing 888-988-2700.
- MegaPath: Business DSL from MegaPath provides the affordable business Internet service you need for your small business, branch office, or home office with the benefit of optimum performance. Packages include speeds that range from 1.5 Mbps to 6.0 Mbps and prices start at $45/month. Call them for more information at 866-300-8947.
New Mexico Internet Connections and Coverage
In this section we’ll give you a brief overview to the internet coverage and speeds in New Mexico.
Although not necessarily useful when buying internet in New Mexico, you might be interested to learn that New Mexico has a lower average internet speed compared to the entire nation. The nation sits at about 12.55 Mbps, while New Mexico is at only 9.91 Mbps.
The 5 cities with fastest internet speed in New Mexico are:
- Farmington – 16.52 Mbps
- Edgewood – 13.77 Mbps
- Los Alamos – 13.73 Mbps
- Las Cruces – 11.99 Mbps
- Albuquerque – 10.87 Mbps
The 5 fastest internet service providers in New Mexico are:
- AGAVUE LLC – 22.50 Mbps
- Comcast – 15.18 Mbps
- Cable One – 14.17 Mbps
- Suddenlink Communications – 10.57 Mbps
- US Cable – 10.50 Mbps
Keep in mind that this information is subject to change at any time. For the most current stats, check out the Net Index page for New Mexico.
Mobile 3G Internet Coverage for New Mexico
Here are some details on the 3G coverage in New Mexico. Again, it’s important to realize that these are based on our own research and it’s possible that the coverage for any one of these providers has changed since then. So you’ll want to check out each ISP for the most current coverage map. The idea here is to just give you a rough idea as to what the coverage looks like in the state.
New Mexico is known to be one of the mountain states and is one of the least densely populated states in the United States. The western area is covered by deserts, mountains and mesas. Because of this you’ll find that 3G coverage is scarce, if not non-existent, in some parts of the state.
Here are the larger mobile providers and an overview of their 3G coverage.
Clear: Clear has coverage only in a few cities such as Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Las Vegas. Not much scope from Clear is available in the state.
AT&T: AT&T’s coverage is good in New Mexico except for the western area where mobile internet is mostly non-existent.
Verizon: Verizon has 3G internet access in the central and northwestern area. Mobile coverage isn’t present on the western, northeastern and southwestern parts. These are mostly due to natural formations like mountains and plains.
Top 5 Colleges in New Mexico& Their Internet Access
If you’re going to be a college student in New Mexico then this section is for you. Below you’ll find information regarding the internet access for the top 5 colleges in the state, and if available, what it takes to get it.
University of New Mexico (UNM)
UNM currently has two wireless connections (SSIDs), Lobo-WiFi and Lobo-Sec. Lobo-WiFi allows Web browsing (both http and https) access for IT-supported VPN clients, DNS and DHCP services, as well as secure email. The Lobo-Sec connection is a secure and encrypted wireless network. In addition to being redirected to a Web page for authentication, Lobo-Sec will require additional configuration for Windows and for Macintosh.
New Mexico State University (NMSU)
NMSU offers wireless internet by going to Aggie Wireless Zones. These are WiFi hot spots on campus where you can surf online. All you need is your NMSU Username and Password to gain access to the network.
New Mexico Highlands University (NMHU)
To have full wireless access on campus, computers require a certificate that can be obtained by taking the computer to Information Technology Services
(ITS). Computers used in the residence halls must be registered with ITS. The ITS office is on the ground floor of the Donnelly Library building.
New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Wireless internet resources are provided primarily for New Mexico Tech students, faculty, and staff. Community users may obtain access to wireless internet in increments of 2 hours. There is no limit to the use of this service.
University of the Southwest (USW)
The Southwest network provides secure access to the Internet to all registered students, faculty, and staff Wired and wireless network access is available in all residence halls, classroom buildings, Daniels Student Center, and the Student Life Center.All systems and devices connecting to the Southwest Network are managed by Bradford Campus Manager to ensure they are free from viruses, spyware, malware, and have critical security updates. One only needs to have an active Mustang Mail Account (email account by USW) and complete the registration process with the Bradford Campus Manager system.
Free Internet Access Spots in New Mexico
Most wireless hot spots in New Mexico are located in fast food shops, cafes, resorts and hotels and libraries. Here are other places to gain access to free WiFi:
- Chamber of Commerce in Alamogordo
- Pilot Travel Center in Las Cruces
- Taos Plaza Wireless Internet Gateway in Taos
- Sneakerz in Albuquerque
- Ghost Ranch Living Museum in Abiquiu
Please note that this is just a short overview of what’s available in New Mexico regarding free wi-fi hotspots. There are plenty more out there.