A resolutionfor a ten-year franchise agreement between the City of Las Cruces and Comcast was unanimously adopted by the city council, giving the company authorization to construct, maintain and operate cable systems. Assistant City Attorney Robert Cabello outlined what freedoms the agreement will allow Comcast.
“It gives them that ability to engage in a particular activity using public facilities,” Cabello said. “In this instance, Comcast would be using our rights of way to put their infrastructure in.”
Bob Duchen, of River Oaks Telecommunications Group, highlighted the non-exclusivity of the agreement.
“This franchise in no way prohibits the city from granting additional wireline cable franchises should another competitor wish to enter the Las Cruces marketplace,” Duchen said.
This adoption marks the first time the Las Cruces City Council has approved a franchise agreement with Comcast since 1999—an agreement that lasted until 2011.
Talk of the agreement prompted additional discussion surrounding internet challenges within the city. Councilor Gill Sorg noted more needs to be done to better infrastructure and increase the speed of internet for residents.
“As our population, the older part of the city, continues to grow and the demand for internet service continues to increase, to me it seems like some of the infrastructure for internet service could be, and I think it is, not quite up to snuff,” Sorg said.
Working to make sure that all students have equal access to the internet was a top concern for Councilor Yvonne Flores who asked Comcast to help look into the issue.
“One of the big concerns that we all share, I believe as a community of people, is that our children are really missing out on educational opportunities in many, many ways,” Flores said. “There's a state mandated decision, Supreme Court of New Mexico decision, that has mandated schools to implement certain practices to ensure that children aren’t left out…I guess it’s my ask for you to somehow look into this.”
Historically, the city has worked to increase access to the internet for residents, offering free Wi-Fi at locations like the Plaza de Las Cruces.
