[1st-mile-nm] New Cell Tower on Black Mesa Will Expand Internet

[Richard Lowenberg]

New Cell Tower on Black Mesa Will Expand Internet

By Jeff Tucker
SUN Staff Writer
Published: Thursday, May 16, 2013 10:06 AM MDT

http://www.riograndesun.com/articles/2013/05/16/news/county/doc5194045f62eef390912727.txt

Cyber Mesa of Santa Fe has received initial approval to build a 65-foot 
tall wireless telecommunications tower atop Black Mesa near Chamita that 
company officials say will provide high-speed internet in areas of 
Española Valley that currently have little or no internet access.

“What the tower does is increase our reach to rural areas,” said Jane 
M. Hill, president of Cyber Mesa. “We’ve got a few (new customers) 
waiting in the wings. It should be good for the community.”

The proposed service areas for the tower are Abiquiú, Arroyo Seco, El 
Rito, Española, Hernandez, La Mesilla, Medanales, San Pedro, Santa Cruz, 
Sombrillo, Velarde, and the pueblos of Santa Clara and Ohkay Owingeh.

Hill said Cyber Mesa needs another location for a small tower to reach 
the north end of Abiquiú.

Hill declined to disclose the cost of the tower, which will be 
solar-battery powered, other than calling it a “substantial investment.”

The Rio Arriba County planning & zoning department approved a 
conditional use permit for the tower during an administrative public 
hearing May 8. No one spoke in opposition to the permit, although anyone 
opposed to it has 15 days from the May 8 approval to appeal the decision 
to the County planning & zoning committee.

Charles R. Frans, manager of wireless operations for Cyber Mesa, said 
his firm plans to start construction of the tower on June 1, provided 
there are no appeals to the conditional use permit, which is necessary 
since the mesa is zoned rural agricultural. Construction should take 
about 30 days and the tower could be operational by July 1, Frans said.

“That’s our goal,” he said.

Frans said the tower would enable Cyber Mesa to provide high-capacity 
internet service.

“It will allow us to provide high-speed internet access to businesses 
and residences in the Española Valley area,” he said, adding the tower 
would serve 500 to 1,000 customers with new and faster internet service, 
as well as speed up Cyber Mesa’s internet service in Abiquiú.

“We look forward to serving those residents that have little or no 
access to internet,” he said. “We’re ready to go.”

Hill said phone lines would not be necessary to receive internet 
service from the tower.

“It’s essentially DSL without the wire,” she said, adding Cyber Mesa 
would be competing with Windstream Corp. of Little Rock, Ark. “in a lot 
of new areas.”

The tower will also provide cell phone service for Cricket Wireless, 
T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless customers, although it will not be 
designed to improve cell phone service.

The tower would be located about 150 feet from the west edge of the 
mesa, limiting its profile.

“You’ll barely see it,” said assistant planner Phil Kilgour.

The new tower would be located about 2,000 feet from an existing 
67-foot telecommunications tower on the southern tip of the mesa. The 
new tower will be located on a 50-by-50-foot parcel leased from Richard 
Cook of Española.

“Richard Cook has been very supportive of our efforts to do internet,” 
Frans said.


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Richard Lowenberg, Executive Dir.
1st-Mile Institute, 505-603-5200
Box 8001, Santa Fe, NM 87504
www.1st-mile.com  rl at 1st-mile.com
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