Better, faster internet could soon be a reality for Española Valley residents.
Several local institutions, including the City of Española, Rio Arriba County, the North Central Regional Transit District and parts of the Ohkay Owingeh pueblo are already benefiting from a new fiber optic broadband network that reaches three counties and four pueblos.
REDI Net, the new high-speed network, is overseen by the North Central New Mexico Economic Development District and funded by a nearly $10.6 million grant from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
About 30 entities are already hooked up to the network. Direct access is granted to “community anchor institutions,” which include libraries, schools, local governments and healthcare facilities.
NCNMEDD Financial and Strategic Development Manager Duncan Sill said the new network is a boon to the community.
“It really increases key economic development initiatives that this region hasn’t seen before,” Sill said. “We’re looking at enhancements to (accessing) health care, online learning and public safety.”
The network goes up to Dixon, where it connects with the Kit Carson Electric Co-op’s fiber network.
“Connecting to Kit Carson provides what we call ‘redundancy,’” Sill said. “Say someone is digging somewhere and they slice our cable and the whole system goes down. We can backup to Kit Carson.”
Private internet providers can also connect to the new infrastructure to offer faster service to homes and businesses.
“We can finally deliver a level of service that can finally meet demand,” Sill said. “(Establishing the network) is the first step in that endeavor.”
Internet providers that are already approved to connect to the network include the Los Alamos Community Network, Cybermesa, Tewa Broadband, Plateau and Cebala.
The City of Española is considering the potential of the new network. Information Technology Director Joaquin Maestas said the city has a lot of options.
“Because (REDI Net has) fiber all over town, we can interconnect all of our (department) sites to one central data center,” Maestas said. “It’s going to be more reliable and it’s going to be better for the constituents.”
Maestas said that the network has so far been “performing on a very robust level” and that he’s very satisfied with it.
“We’re excited to be a part of REDI Net,” Maestas said. “Hopefully it can be very successful not just for us but also for the valley.”
Final construction of the network in Los Alamos is on hold until the Mexican spotted owl nesting season is over. Pojoaque is waiting, too, for the Jemez Mountains Electric Co-op to finish work on its lines before the REDI Net network can be completed there.