Council approves temporary moratorium, working group after complaints about fiber installation

The Albuquerque City Council voted to approve R25-154, a resolution that would impose a temporary moratorium on new residential fiber-optic installation permits if a new working group fails to deliver a recommended plan by Sept. 1, 2025.

The resolution and a substantial floor amendment came after weeks of public complaints about damage to driveways, long delays in repairs, language-access gaps and construction coordination problems observed during rapid fiber-network buildout in multiple neighborhoods. Councilor Champine, who introduced the resolution, said the measure aims to preserve the overall benefits of faster residential Internet while ensuring better protections for residents during construction.

The floor amendment -- adopted by the council -- sets a September 2025 trigger date for a moratorium if the council does not approve an acceptable plan prepared by a working group. The amendment requires the administration to supply detailed permit, lease and inspection criteria and directs the Department of Technology and Innovation to convene a working group composed of city departments, active residential fiber providers and invited stakeholders (including utilities and regulators). The working group was instructed to consider ways to minimize adverse construction impacts, to prepare standardized notice requirements and to recommend measures such as conduit sharing, increased inspection, streamlined complaint response and other protections.

Public comment at the meeting was extensive and included company representatives and residents. EZ Fiber CEO Matt Marino and Gigapower Vice President Toni Broberg described large private investment and said their companies would work with council and affected residents; they urged collaboration rather than a pause. Multiple residents and property owners reported damage to utilities, unmarked lines and long repair times and asked the council for relief. City department directors said the administration had already issued stop-work orders in high-complaint periods and introduced emergency rules the same day to strengthen restoration timelines and bilingual outreach.

Council members said the vote was intended to preserve the long-term benefits of expanded fiber access while creating a forum to resolve immediate community impacts and to set stronger construction, notice and restoration expectations.

Ending: The working group must report its recommendations to the Council; if Council does not approve a plan before Sept. 1, the moratorium provisions in the adopted amendment would take effect.