Gateway COG plans free fiber trunk to connect Artesia; costs, timelines and local options discussed

Gateway Cities Council of Governments officials told the Artesia City Council on July 14 that a state‑funded middle‑mile fiber project will bring free dark fiber to Artesia City Hall and other municipal buildings and will leave two strands of dark fiber for the city to use. The executive director of the COG said the program is paid with roughly $104 million from two state grants and must be completed by December 2026, and he described the connection as a “trunk line” that cities can extend at their own expense. The network, he said, will increase available capacity and competition for Internet service providers, and could cut long‑term connectivity costs.

Why it matters: The network is intended to tie 24 Gateway Cities into the state middle‑mile and give each city municipal connectivity for free while lowering local operating costs over time. Council members framed the project as a potential lever for public‑Wi‑Fi at parks, improved municipal IT redundancy and economic development choices for private sector and city use.

Place and scope: The presentation, given by Hector Dela Torre, executive director of the Gateway Cities COG, described a route that follows Pioneer Boulevard and 180th Street through Artesia…