A TDS crew works to install fiber in Socorro.
Courtesy photo

After months of research and discussion between the City of Socorro and TDS Telecom, construction of a high-speed network is getting underway this week.

Once completed, the network upgrade will provide 2,000 mbps — 2 gig —internet speeds along with TDS’ television product and a variety of phone options to roughly 5,300 new addresses, according to TDS Public Relations Associate Manager Cheryl McCollum.

Mayor Ravi Bhasker described the upgrade in real-world terms.

“You’ll be able to have fiber like anybody in Albuquerque and at the same speeds and cost for telephone, TV and internet,” Bhasker said. “We appreciate TDS for investing in our community and providing services that we know are critical to the city’s economic growth.”

TDS commended community leaders for their commitment to creating a smart city for their constituents at an open meeting last week with city officials and the general public in City Hall.

“We have heard from city officials, business leaders, and residents that they’re thrilled to be getting TDS fiber,” said Drew Petersen, Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs for TDS said.

He says TDS has expanded availability of the Federal Communication Commission’s Affordable Connectivity Program to nearly all states it serves. Eligible TDS customers across the country can now leverage the benefits program to receive high-speed internet at a heavily discounted rate. With speeds of up to 2 gig, where available, TDS will offer a variety of options including some that may have no cost to qualifying customers.

“TDS was founded on the idea that quality connections should be available to everyone,” Petersen said. “Offering programs like the ACP is a natural extension of that mission and we hope customers in need of assistance take full advantage of this opportunity.”

The upgraded network includes symmetrical speeds matching download and upload speeds up to 2 gig. Fast downloads are better for streaming videos and music, and shopping online and the fast upload speeds means users can video chat, game, live stream and upload to the cloud or social media without a hitch.

“It’s great to have shovels in the ground today and begin construction of our fiber network in Socorro,” Petersen said on Monday.

TDS is working with CEC Facilities Group out of Irving, Texas to construct the network, which is planned in three-to-four phases encompassing four sections of town, involving both burial and aerial cables.

YDS says CEC Facilities will start off with one crew of workers around the central and western parts of Socorro. The first area includes installing about 18 miles of fiber and more than 1,400 service addresses. More crews will be brought in to construct the network in the winter months.

Construction for the northern section of Socorro covering 14.2 miles of fiber to serve 1,230 customers, generally north of Bullock Avenue, is slated to begin in January.

Construction in the southern section, generally south of the Plaza serving 1,318 customers with 16.9 miles of fiber, should begin in January.

Construction for the eastern section of Socorro, everything east of California Street to serve 1,308 customers with 18.8 miles of fiber, is targeted to begin in May.

TDS already provides TV services to Socorro and now, along with newly constructed 2 gig internet speeds, the growth of TDS’ fiber footprint expands the availability of TDS TV®+. The cloud-based TV service combines live TV — broadcast channels, regional sports content, and national cable channels — with subscription-based streaming services.

The company says TDS TV+ uses smart technology to provide custom recommendations based on a customer’s viewing habits. The service includes a voice-activated remote that allows customers to have quick access to the full functionality of their TV experience. Customers can also stream live TV and recordings on personal devices at home or on-the-go with TV Everywhere.

TDS adds that the network expansion will offer business customers internet access and transport connections up to 10 gig via dedicated fiber and TDS-managed IP, a hosted VoIP communications solution.

This project is solely a private-sector investment from TDS. No government support funds will be used.

For residents who would like to learn when they can sign up, go to TDSFiber.com/Socorro to register.