Los Alamos County Launches One-Question Survey to Name Broadband Network

Los Alamos County opened a one-question survey on January 21 asking residents to help choose a name for the Community Broadband Network, the county’s new county-owned, open-access broadband project. County officials intend to announce the survey results on February 18, 2026, as the network moves from planning into construction phases that county materials say will bring first-customer availability as phases are completed, with a target of Fall 2026.

The Community Broadband Network is described by county materials as an open-access infrastructure project that will be available to multiple internet service providers so customers can choose among providers and benefit from competitive pricing. The county projects the network will serve more than 10,000 homes and businesses in Los Alamos and White Rock, positioning local government as the owner of the physical network rather than a retail internet provider.

Municipal ownership and the open-access model carry concrete policy implications for local governance, competition, and affordability. County ownership places responsibility for long-term maintenance, capital planning, and contracting squarely with Los Alamos County officials and elected representatives. Making the infrastructure available to multiple ISPs is meant to foster competition and consumer choice, but the model also requires transparent rules for access, nondiscriminatory pricing, and clear oversight of any contracts that grant provider access to the network. Those are governance decisions that will shape whether the project reduces rates, expands service, and sustains operations over time.

For residents, the immediate impact is both practical and symbolic. A community-selected name is a visible exercise in civic engagement that invites public attention to a project with technical, financial, and service delivery consequences. The network’s eventual coverage of more than 10,000 addresses promises to affect telework, education, telehealth, and local business operations in Los Alamos and White Rock. County officials have set a target for initial customer service in Fall 2026, but that timeline depends on the pace of phased construction and the county’s procurement of provider partners.

The survey is a narrow point of participation; deeper opportunities for oversight will come as Los Alamos County moves into contracting, provider selection, and rate-setting. Residents who want information or who have questions about the project may contact Broadband Manager Jerry Smith at jerry.smith@losalamosnm.gov. Tracking county reports and public meetings will be important for voters and service users who want accountability on costs, access rules, and expansion beyond the initial build.

As the naming vote concludes on February 18, 2026, Los Alamos County will shift attention to the operational choices that determine whether the Community Broadband Network meets its stated goals of affordability, choice, and reliable high-speed service for more than 10,000 local homes and businesses.