Jim Kalvelage, Ruidoso News (New Mexico)

After two interruptions to Internet and some other communications services in the Ruidoso area already this year, some are seeking a resolution to the situation.

In a letter to the PRC’s consumer relations chief, Jim Williamson, Alto area resident Tony Davis questioned if redundancy in critical communications, to facilitate a rerouting around problems, could be required. Davis also asked if there was a way to bring the matter to the attention of the elected commissioners.

In forwarding the issue to the PRC’s Telecommunications Bureau, Williamson replied that the bureau might be able to determine “if the NMPRC has the statutory authority to require redundancy on fiber optic lines, and if not, what can be done to improve it.”

Davis said such communications outages can create simple inconveniences to serious situations.

“White Mountain Search and Rescue was on a search for an Alzheimer’s patient up in Vaughn, north of here,” Davis said. “And we were coming back and tried to let people know that we were coming back and that we would arrive at a certain time, things of that sort, and we had no cell phone communications all the way on down. That’s an inconvenience. But for other people, I wonder about 911 or emergency communications. This is critical communications so it would be good to have some redundancy in the system so when a fiber optic cable is cut there would be another way, another path of getting information around that.”

Pointing to the two extended interruptions since the first of the year, Davis said the system seems to be fragile. He added that he would hope the five-member PRC would add their voice to the concerns.

But the PRC may have little authority over most fiber optic providers.

“Generally speaking, the PRC does not have jurisdiction over fiber lines as they primarily transmit information services which are under the purview of the FCC (Federal Communications Commission),” said Arthur Bishop, a public information officer with the PRC. “The exception was the Qwest Second Amended Settlement Agreement which was the result of a settlement to bring to close Qwest’s investment commitment under AFOR 1 (Alternate Form of Regulation). However, the commission does have jurisdiction tangentially if E-911 for intrastate services are disrupted.”

CenturyLink, a communications provider of broadband, voice and wireless, acquired Qwest in 2010.

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