The SSCR issued its preliminary field report after a week-long visit to New Mexico in November. They found that fewer than half of New Mexico households have Internet service, creating a “digital divide” between those who have access and those who do not.

“This is urgent, these are real bread and butter issues,” says Andrea Quijada, executive director of the New Mexico Media Literacy Project (NMMLP). “As all information gets moved online, people's very real lives depend on the Internet, from public assistance, to immigration status, to health, to education, to people's right to live with self-determination.”

Quijada and her staff arranged for members of the SSRC to visit high schools, libraries, colleges and community-based organizations throughout New Mexico. They are calling for people to speak out about this issue.