Rio Rancho is one of the fastest-growing cities in New Mexico and one of the best places to live in the U.S. Its residents benefit from a thriving business community featuring restaurants, specialty retailers, theaters, a movie studio and production facilities.
Many of these residents and businesses already have access to Xfinity and Comcast Business, Comcast’s high-speed, next-generation internet service. Tens of thousands more will gain access to the service over the next two years when Comcast completes a $150 million expansion of its broadband infrastructure investment. That expansion adds to the company’s $257 million investment in New Mexico over the past three years.
“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, area vice president for Comcast 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.”
Key to next-gen network: Ultra-fast speed
The investment in Rio Rancho ensures the community will have the foundational next-generation network in place to begin deploying DOCSIS 4.0, or Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification, setting the stage for the introduction of symmetrical multi-gigabit internet options. Today, newly connected residential consumers will have access to symmetrical internet options ranging from 150 megabits per second to 1 gigabit per second. As reports show, this higher-end speed is so fast a person could stream 200 high-definition shows simultaneously.
Dunkeson said the benefits for residential consumers extend beyond streaming. They include:
- A reliable way to stay connected to friends and family virtually.
- Access to online educational and professional development opportunities.
- A secure option to participate in telemedicine.
- The ability to take advantage of advances in gaming technology.
And members of a household will be able to do all these things at the same time with no buffering, sluggishness, freezing or crashing.
This is possible because of the evolution of high-speed Wi-Fi internet offering ultra-fast upload and download speeds, bandwidth that’s robust enough to power hundreds of devices at the same time and advanced cybersecurity protection.
“We’ve seen the importance of fast, reliable internet service in our lives since the pandemic,” Dunkeson said. “It was the driving force that kept the world running and kept people connected.”
Boosting economic development along with connectivity
Having access to reliable, high-speed internet service also is an economic driver for communities, said Jerry Schalow, president and CEO of the Rio Rancho Chamber of Commerce.
“This type of broadband investment is occurring nationwide, and it is the key to economic development,” Schalow said. “If you have outstanding broadband in your community, then you are ready to take your business community to the next level. Comcast’s investment in Rio Rancho will make us one of the most connected communities in the state, if not the nation.
“Connectivity also creates opportunities for stronger educational opportunities and professional development for our workforce,” Schalow continued. “That really bridges the digital divide, so you are making sure, from a community standpoint, that everyone is given an equal opportunity to be successful.”
Mayor Gregg Hull said access to this type of next-generation internet service will make the community attractive from a workforce development standpoint in a digital world where remote jobs are more prevalent after the pandemic.
“Someone can live in Rio Rancho and work for a company anywhere in the world because we have the latest internet technology available that is reliable, fast and secure,” Hull said. “This gives us an edge, not only for physically located businesses here but for those remote workers who live in Rio Rancho and want to work for jobs at companies that are located out of state or around the world.”
Investments help expand the digital community
Comcast addresses digital opportunities in communities through Project UP, the company’s $1 billion commitment to help tens of millions of people connect to the internet.
Comcast’s efforts in Rio Rancho include initial investments of more than $40,000 in local nonprofit partners such as R4 Creating and ReadWest Inc., along with economic development and business growth partners including the Rio Rancho Regional Chamber of Commerce and Sandoval Economic Alliance.
In the last three years, Comcast has invested more than $13.7 million in New Mexico nonprofits to help local community organizations provide hands-on digital skills training, as well as offer workforce development/readiness workshops and other technical education to students, adults and people with disabilities.
The funding also supports efforts to build awareness about affordable connectivity services like Internet Essentials, which offers eligible households high-speed internet for $9.99/month or Internet Essentials Plus for $29.95/month. Affordable computers are also available through Internet Essentials.
“Internet Essentials is the nation’s largest broadband adoption program for low-income households,” Dunkeson said. “We’re proud to report that since 2011, this has brought broadband to over 400,000 New Mexicans.”
To learn more about construction details and updates, visit newmexico.comcast.com/network/.
Learn more about Xfinity and Comcast Business services, availability and how to get on the list for service by visiting xfinity.com/mytown.
Laura Newpoff is a freelance writer with The Business Journals Content Studio.
