Rio Rancho council approves EZ Fiber franchise after company vows tighter resident communications and limited street cuts

The Rio Rancho City Council voted to grant EZ Fiber Texas LLC a nonexclusive franchise to install and operate a fiber-optic network in the city after company representatives described construction methods, service staffing plans and resident outreach measures.

Garner Duncan, head of government and external affairs for EZ Fiber, said the company seeks to build a largely residential and commercial fiber network and emphasized resident communications. "We will restore your property," Duncan said, describing mailers, door hangers and a construction-resolution hotline designed to give homeowners a single point of contact. Vice President of Engineering Sean Perry told the council the company logs construction incidents in a dashboard: "85% of those tickets are resolved within 7 days." He added crews use GoPro pre-construction walks and photo records to document existing conditions.

The presentation explained EZ Fiber's construction sequence—design, permitting, utility locates, trenchless installation or minimal excavation—and highlighted use of ground-penetrating radar (GPR) where allowed. "Most residents will get a box that's smaller than a water meter," Perry said, noting the company tries to minimize visible infrastructure.

Councilors framed their approval around accountability. Councilor Bob Tyler thanked the applicants but said residents will judge the company on results: "Let's see if you perform as well as the presentation says." Councilor Weimer pressed the firm on markings and photos; Perry said crews record high-resolution pre-construction footage and retain large files for verification. Multiple councilors repeatedly urged EZ Fiber to avoid creating new defects in recently repaired roads. Mayor (speaking from the dais) said he was "furious about the potholing of a brand new road" caused by prior utility work and asked staff to provide lists of recently repaved streets the company should avoid.

Company executives told the council they plan a local presence: Carlos Rosas, identified in the presentation as regional general manager, will relocate to the area and the company expects about 40 employees in the greater Albuquerque market by year-end with nearly 300 by the end of 2026. On investment, Perry estimated EZ Fiber was "looking at spending about $200,000,000 to $300,000,000" across the broader build; Duncan cited a company press release saying the firm would invest $250,000,000 in New Mexico.

After questions and a recommendation from staff, the council moved, seconded and adopted O14 by roll-call vote, with all members present voting yes. The ordinance grants EZ Fiber permission to use public ways under terms comparable to earlier franchise agreements the city has approved.

The council emphasized next steps: staff will coordinate with EZ Fiber on permitted methods (including any GPR pilots), provide pavement lists and monitor the company's incident tracker. Company contact numbers and direct cell numbers for senior managers were included in the project packet for council follow-up.