Rio Rancho hooks up wireless network covering 103 square miles.

Rio Rancho, Intel and Usurf offer high-speed wireless

New Mexico’s fastest growing city is blazing trails in wireless communication.

The city of Rio Rancho, Intel and Colorado-based Usurf Communications have launched one of the world’s largest wireless initiatives in hopes of making the city "your wireless window to the world," officials told The Associated Press on Monday.

By Mary Perea, Associated Press

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/wireless/data/2004-06-22-nm-mesh_x.htm

The first step — a wireless grid that will cover the city’s 103 square-mile area — will be unveiled Saturday.

Officials hope the system will prove key in economic development and provide ready access to broadband computer service.

"You could bring your company to Rio Rancho and you don’t have to worry about the infrastructure needs that you normally would have by rewiring or going into an old building," said Terry McDermott, Intel spokesman and chairman of the Rio Rancho Economic Development Corp. "This really makes computing and economic development that much better for Rio Rancho and the area."

What wireless communication does for computing, he said, "is the same as what cell phones did for telephone communication 20 years ago."

Intel proposed the idea to the city while going wireless at its Rio Rancho computer chip factory last year.

"The bottom line is that we were doing this anyway," McDermott said. "We had some people who were very passionate about wireless and where it could go and what we could do with it, so we decided to say on our own, ‘Let’s see if we can do this here.’"

Rio Rancho Mayor Jim Owen, a former site manager at Intel, said the city has the kind of environment that fosters technological growth.

"We didn’t have a bunch of imbedded kind of anchors, if you will, that says you can’t do something," Owen said. "Our first response is, ‘Well, let’s try it.’"

Intel served as technological adviser and looked for a company that could provide wireless service, had the technology, had solid financial backing and fit a number of other requirements.

Colorado Springs-based Usurf was selected.

The system sends a signal wirelessly to an access point, which then transmits it to a radio frequency network. That frequency picks it up and beams it downtown, where it’s tied into a land line.

The advancement could mean a business boom for Rio Rancho, said Owen, City Manager Jim Palenich and city economic development director Norene Scott.

The major advantage will be in bandwidth, said Usurf president Kenneth J. Upcraft.

"We’re able to provide bandwidth to whatever business might want to move into Rio Rancho," Upcraft said. "So that’s always a consideration for new businesses."

Usurf is paying the $2 million cost of bringing wireless to Rio Rancho. Included in that cost is the system to deploy wireless from Intel’s rooftop. Usurf also had an agreement with Public Service Company of New Mexico to mount access points on PNM light poles throughout the city.

Multiple access points and antennas will be installed to provide wireless Internet to all residents within city limits. Each access point contains network intelligence, a processor, switching capability, data packet routing and system software.

"The mesh technology is fairly new. There have been smaller deployments," Upcraft said.

At 103 square miles, Rio Rancho’s mesh will be among the largest if not the largest, Upcraft said.

The city, Rio Rancho public schools, West Mesa Medical Center, the Rio Rancho Chamber of Commerce and Rio Rancho Economic Development Corp. are among the businesses that could benefit from the technology, officials said.

The city, with a population approaching 60,000, can use the technology to extend wireless access to public safety officers, building inspectors and other services with require quick access to records and information.

Usurf offers three levels of access for various costs ranging from individual to business.

Upcraft said residential consumers will pay less than $40 on average. Businesses could pay as little as $99.
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