VIDEO: Comcast celebrates $150 million project in Rio Rancho

Rio Rancho will have another connectivity option as Comcast celebrated its expansion into Rio Rancho.

Comcast announced its $150 million broadband infrastructure expansion last year, and on Wednesday, May 15, local politicians, businesses, nonprofits and Comcast representatives all celebrated with a ribbon cutting at R4 Creating on Sara Road.

Chris Dunkeson, area vice president for Comcast in New Mexico, was proud to announce the "next generation" fiber network expansion.

"We know that having a fast, reliable connection in your home and at your business is essential, and with this $150 million expansion, more people and businesses throughout Rio Rancho can reliably and securely connect to what matters most in their lives," he said.

Dunkeson says the network will be capable of delivering multi-gigabit speeds in the future.

"Nationally, Comcast Network includes more than 300 000 miles of fiber. For those of you who are curious, that's enough to wrap around the Earth 12 times. And this year, in Rio Rancho, we'll add more than 350 miles of fiber to Comcast Network. Our expansion into Rio Rancho builds on Comcast's long-term commitment into New Mexico," he added.

Mayor Gregg Hull was excited Comcast was helping Rio Rancho keep its vision.

"It seems appropriate to have such an in an industry-leading product right here in the city of vision," Hull said.

Hull brought up some specific benefits that more connectivity will help with.

"One of the big things that we did discuss was internet connect connectivity and how we could offer greater services, because the one thing we learned in the pandemic is there was a large, gaping hole in service availability when it came to homes being able to have their kids at home learning online; people having to leave their offices and go home and set up home offices for the first time really changed our way of thinking when it came to working and living at home, and having those sufficiencies when it came to internet service and connectivity and being able to reach outside the home," Hull explained.

"We saw the impact on the mental health services throughout the state when patients couldn't go to a physical appointment and had to adjust and adapt to getting their services over the internet. If those connectivity options weren't there, they weren't getting the services that they needed."

Hull added that one thing the community can look forward to is telemedicine.

Commissioners Jay Block, Dave Heil and Michael Meek were all appreciative as well, saying the expansion also impacts the county.

"One thing that we cannot forget— and these two gentlemen, know this very, very well — is the rural areas of Sandoval County. We need high-speed internet and connectivity to help those in the rural areas for economic development," Block said.

He added first responders would also benefit from connectivity to reach those rural areas which "can be difficult to get to.".

Heil mentioned that the upcoming Mayor's Sunday is Funday is sponsored by Xfinity, which in turn supports the youth in the community.

Meek humbly welcomed Comcast and thanked them for their investment.

Rio Rancho Regional Chamber of Commerce President Jerry Schalow says he is excited to hear a completion date

"This is not only going to affect the the residents; this is going to affect every business, every resident of all sizes, all corners of the city and of all areas and abilities, as you've seen today," Schalow said.

He went on to thank the company for its commitment to technology.

Part of the project is supporting R4 Creating, ReadWest, Rio Rancho Regional Chamber of Commerce and Sandoval Economic Alliance with more than $40,000. R4 and ReadWest also received a donation of 50 laptops, and both will be Comcast Lift Zones. That program provides a free 1-gigabite Wi-Fi connection.

"And Lift Zones are part of our overall commitment to ensure that everyone can get online whether they're at home or on the go," Dunkeson said.

R4 Creating Executive Director Shelly Gruenig says the laptops and connection will benefit education.

"I just want to say it's our honor to welcome you all here, standing-room only in the STEAM lab, in partnership with Comcast, couldn't be more proud of that. In Our STEAM Center of Excellence, where we're committed to every child's future and the use of technology to enrich and educate them on their journey from learners to leaders in our community, and in your businesses like Comcast," she said.

Gruenig recalled a time when phones had cords, when cables brought TV signals and when dial-up was a thing.

"That dial-up tone is forever ingrained in my brain," she joked.

She went on to say she is excited for the variety of technologies Comcast will provide to the area.

"We're excited to continue to leverage these important tools and through the gifts of Comcast as keys to the future for tens of thousands of students that we serve each year. We're honored to welcome Comcast to the community as a partner that exceeds expectations in providing the critical foundation of tools to build futures, close the digital divide and inspire a generation of innovators," she ended.

According to Comcast executives, the expansion project aims to connect tens of thousands of homes and businesses in Rio Rancho by the end of 2024, with completion slated for 2026.

Visit the Comcast website for more information about its various services.