News
Expansion efforts by Comcast in Rio Rancho, a city immediately north of Alburquerque, are ramping up.
By: Brad Randall, Broadband Communities
Comcast has announced that tens of thousands of residents in Rio Rancho, one of New Mexico’s fastest growing cities, will be in line for full access to Comcast’s suite of services once a $150 million expansion project in the city is completed.
The project, which has been ongoing for several years, has already connected thousands of residents in the city, which has a population of over 100,000, according to the 2020 U.S. Census.
The company said the project, to be completed by the end of 2026, will begin deploying DOCSIS 4.0, which Comcast’s announcement stated would open the door to multi-gigabit internet options.
In addition to the network construction, Comcast has made investments in local non-profits like R4 Creating and ReadWest, Inc. The company’s release also detailed partnerships Comcast has forged with the Rio Rancho Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Sandoval Economic Alliance.
“We are committed to investing in and expanding our network to ensure more residents and businesses across New Mexico have access to the connectivity they want and need for their educational, professional and personal lives,” said Chris Dunkeson, a VP for Comcast who is based in New Mexico. “We are proud to connect people in Rio Rancho to more of what matters most to them with fast, secure, and reliable internet service built to meet their needs today and into the future.”
Greggory Hull, the mayor of Rio Rancho, was also quoted in Comcast’s release.
“We’re grateful for Comcast’s recognition of Rio Rancho’s potential and eagerly anticipate the transformative impact of improved Internet services. As we move forward, we are confident that the journey will prove to be worth the wait, presenting enriched economic opportunity for both residents and businesses,” Hull said.
Hull continued and said Comcast’s efforts in Rio Rancho have set the stage for the company’s long-term growth and economic development.
Over the past three years, Comcast has donated more than $13 million to supporting non-profits in New Mexico, a number that accompanies the over quarter billion dollars of investment that Comcast has made towards infrastructure construction and upgrades in the state.
