Frustrated Albuquerque residents called for action at a public hearing on new fiber rules aimed at curbing damage from broadband work, part of a formal process to collect community feedback and testimony.
Frustrated Burqueños packed a June 5 virtual meeting with stories of broken water lines, sinking trenches and weeks of no response after broadband crews tore up their streets and left behind damage and delays. In response, the city proposed stricter rules for fiber companies, including advance notice, visible signage and quicker repairs — changes officials say are meant to protect neighborhoods and finally hold contractors accountable.
“I’ve been having to haul water just to flush the toilets and stuff,” said Garrett Paulus, an Albuquerque resident. “I reported the problem to the fiber optic company and to the city, and I’ve had nobody contact me for resolution. I don’t know what the rules are, but nobody is addressing my problem, and I don’t know where else to turn or what else to do.”
Jennifer Turner, director of the Department of Municipal Development, said the city is working with the planning department and the Department of Technology and Innovation to enforce fiber rules.
She said the city can issue stop-work orders for violations and fine companies $500 per offense, which it has done. Planning inspectors also issue work orders and can delay permits if enforcement problems arise. Turner called it a coordinated citywide effort.
On May 19, city councilors voted 7-1 to pause new fiber work and create a working group within 30 days to fix problems in the current code. The move follows complaints about crews starting too early, working past the 10 p.m. cutoff, skipping notices and damaging sidewalks.
City Councilor Dan Champine, who sponsored the measure, said the pause won’t affect applications already submitted and work can continue on approved permits in good standing.
Frustrated residents
Albuquerque resident, Lucero Mendoza, asked how stop-work orders can be lifted, saying damage is still sitting untouched in her neighborhood. She said her handicapped neighbor has had a hole in their yard for weeks because the company responsible can’t work.
Catherine Nicolaou, the city’s broadband program manager, said companies under stop-work orders can still fix safety hazards like open holes or exposed equipment. She said once all issues are resolved, the stop-work order gets lifted. Nicolaou offered to work directly with Mendoza and the company to get the neighbor’s yard fixed.
Dorothy Nesbitt, who represents 119 homes in the Santa Monica subdivision homeowners’ association, said her neighborhood has been left in dangerous disrepair.
Heavy rains caused holes that were filled to cave in, creating tripping hazards. Crews also broke a water line, left paint everywhere and patched asphalt over concrete. She called a three-week delay in replanting an uprooted bush, which died in the meantime, “inexcusable negligence” by both the company and the city.
She said rules are pointless if they’re not strongly enforced and urged the city to let residents sign off on repairs before they’re considered complete, saying, “because very often it’s not remediation at all. It’s just another mess.”
Other residents said they’ve gone weeks without running water, had landlines down for nearly two months, and are dealing with dangerous, torn-up streets and sidewalks. They said fiber companies rarely respond or follow up.
What You Need to Know About New Fiber Optic Work Rules
The proposed rules are to keep things safer and less disruptive. Here’s a quick breakdown:
- Clear Identification: All work vehicles must display the company’s name, address, and a phone number to be answered from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Worker Info: Contractors must wear uniforms showing the company name and carry info sheets in English and Spanish explaining the work and how to reach the company.
- Advance Notice: Companies must notify neighbors at least 48 hours before starting work, including details on what they’ll be doing, traffic changes and who to contact.
- Work Hours: Fiber work in neighborhoods is limited to 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Other fiber projects can run from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. The city can change these hours with written notice.
- Wait Time Between Work: After finishing fiber installation, companies must wait six months before digging again — unless they coordinate to share conduit or trenches with other providers.
- Quick Repairs: Any damage to landscaping or streets must be fixed fast — asphalt and concrete temporarily patched within two days and permanently fixed within 15 days.
- Complaint Response: Companies must reply within 24 hours if residents file a complaint, either solving it or giving a clear timeline.
- Work Stoppage: If problems keep piling up, the city can halt work until all issues are resolved.
If companies break these rules, the city can stop their work, suspend permits, end contracts and take other legal steps.
Ezee Fiber pushes back on parts of proposed rules
Carlos Rosas, senior vice president and General Manager of Ezee Fiber’s New Mexico operations, told city officials the company supports most of the proposed broadband rules but said some changes need work.
“Ezee Fiber complies with the majority of the rules,” Rosas said during public comment. “We support the spirit of the rules — great transparency, clear communications with residents and the highest standards for performance.”
Rosas said Ezee Fiber responds to resident complaints within 24 hours and works directly with field crews to resolve issues. But he pushed back on vague terms like “excessive complaints,” calling them too subjective to enforce.
He also said many utility line strikes happen because of mis-marked infrastructure — something the industry deals with across the country — and asked the city to help educate the public.
“We want to find solutions that work for both residents and the administration,” Rosas said.
Richard Estrada, Ezee Fiber’s regional vice president of construction, raised concerns about the rule requiring residents to be notified 48 hours before any work begins.
He said the requirement is impractical to implement since traffic control plans and construction dates often aren’t finalized until after permits are issued, but permits won’t be granted until that notice is provided.
He also warned that requiring joint trenching would backfire, saying it calls for bigger conduit bundles and heavier equipment, which can tear up roads, increase the risk of sinkholes, and cause more damage to driveways and underground utilities.
“Joint trenching will cause more problems than it will solve,” Estrada said.
Get involved
Public comments on the proposed fiber rules are open until 5:00 p.m., June 9. To weigh in, email Allison Eye at aeye@cabq.gov or call 505-768-4539.
Need help or info?
- Check fiber construction: See current and upcoming barricade locations at cabq.gov/gis/map-views/traffic-barricades
- Report problems or request inspections: Call 311 or use the 311 app
- Urgent issues? Call the company directly:
- Ezee Fiber: 505-539-4848
- Gigapower: 505-420-5195
- Vexus Fiber: 844-512-5022