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Los Alamos County Edges Closer To Unveiling Planned Open Access Fiber Network
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Los Alamos County New Mexico is getting closer to unveiling its finished plan for a county-wide open access fiber network. The effort, should it be approved by county officials in the next few months, should dramatically improve local competition and broadband access quality for the county’s 19,419 residents.
A 2023 Strategic Leadership Plan adopted by the County Council identified that broadband is an “essential service,” stating that a county-owned community broadband network would be a top priority to improve economic vitality of the county.
So last December, the county issued a project request for proposals (RFP), and is currently examining potential partners as well as build and financing options.
County broadband planners tell ILSR they’re hoping to build a county-wide open access fiber network within a budget of $35 million. That network could theoretically pass 10,014 addresses and if open access, could spur meaningful local competition in a predominately rural county where many either don’t have service, or only have access to Comcast cable.
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Los Alamos County Broadband Manager Jerry Smith told ILSR the county is still working its way through the early preparation stages but the project has not been approved by the Los Alamos County Council yet. While planners are currently in the RFP procurement process, the county isn’t yet in position to share more details publicly.
“We are making progress and are now in the final stages of procurement,” Smith said. “We hope to be able to present to our county council a recommended vendor and negotiated contract within the next few months. If we get an approved and funded project, more specific information can be shared at that point.”
Data from around the globe has shown that open access broadband networks dramatically lower the costs for market entry, encouraging competition. That competition, in turn, drives more equitable, evenly-available broadband access, faster speeds, and lower prices.
While Los Alamos National Laboratory has access to some of the fastest broadband speeds imaginable, heavy monopolization and a historic refusal of private companies to coordinate with local officials and tribes has left thousands of locals unable to access broadband that meets the FCC’s base definition (100 megabits per second (Mbps) downstream, 20 Mbps upstream).
More broadly, New Mexico is poised to receive more than $635 million in broadband subsidies courtesy of the Broadband Equity Access and Development (BEAD) program, made possible in turn by the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
Inline image of Los Alamos High School marching band courtesy of Larry Lamsa, Attribution 2.0 Generic
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