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Comcast outlines fiber build to reach about 3,100 homes in Aztec and Bloomfield; easements required
Summary
Comcast told the San Juan County Commission it plans roughly 200 miles of fiber to serve about 3,100 unserved or underserved homes and businesses in Aztec and Bloomfield, and that some parcels will require private easement agreements; Comcast is holding a town hall April 18 and said grant deadlines require construction costs to be incurred by Dec. 31, 2026.
Comcast representatives told the San Juan County Commission that the company is building a fiber-to-the-premise project intended to reach roughly 3,100 homes and businesses in the Aztec and Bloomfield areas, using about 200 miles of fiber and a mix of pole and underground construction.
"My name is Julianne Ferris and I lead our government and community affairs work here in New Mexico for Comcast," Ferris said while briefing commissioners. She described consumer and business brands (Xfinity and Comcast Business), Comcast’s Internet Essentials affordability program and community Lift Zone Wi‑Fi sites, and said residents will have access to a five-year price guarantee.
Ferris said the project will require private easement agreements where poles sit on private land or where no pole exists and the company needs to bury cable. She invited affected property owners to a town hall at the Aztec Senior Center on April 18 where Comcast staff will explain easement language, have a licensed notary on site for anyone who wishes to sign, and offer information about address-level construction timelines.
Comcast told the commission it has already built backbone miles and that construction decisions between poles and underground will be made based on pole availability and make-ready feasibility. "If poles are available and they're in good shape and the make ready is reasonable, we're going to go on poles because it's less disruptive," Ferris said.
Ferris emphasized timing: the state Office of Broadband Access and Expansion grant requires costs to be incurred by Dec. 31, 2026. "Comcast takes on the risk and the cost up front and then we submit for reimbursement from the state grant program," she said, noting the company is asking property owners to sign easements to avoid routing constraints that would prevent service to neighboring addresses.
Commissioners and residents asked questions about construction duration, traffic impacts, future expansion into Navajo Nation areas and how residents can confirm whether their address is in the build area. Ferris recommended xfinity.com/mytown for address checks and said the construction team will consider reported traffic bottlenecks and minimize lane-closure footprints where permitted by DOT rules.
The presentation closed after a brief Q&A. Comcast and county staff said they will continue community outreach to secure voluntary private easement agreements and meet the grant’s timeline.
