[1st-mile-nm] New Mexico Completes First Phase of Public-Safety LTE Network (FirstNet)

[Richard Lowenberg]

New Mexico Completes First Phase of Public-Safety LTE Network

http://www.rrmediagroup.com/News/NewsDetails/NewsID/13356

Friday, August 28, 2015

The New Mexico Department of Information Technology (DoIT) completed the 
first phase of the state’s public-safety Long Term Evolution (LTE) 
network in Santa Fe. Working with General Dynamics Mission Systems, the 
state connected its LTE network evolved packet core (EPC) with the EPC 
in Adams County, Colorado.

The state awarded a $2 million public-safety LTE contract for hardware 
to General Dynamics Mission Systems and a $240,000 contract to Aviat 
Networks for backhaul equipment for the early builder network in June.

The phase one capability marks the first Broadband Technology 
Opportunities Program (BTOP) project to demonstrate core-to-core 
interoperability between states. The state also completed a data call 
from New Mexico to Adams County over the network. In February, New 
Mexico announced that Adams County would serve as its host core, a 
decision based on technical and financial comparisons, said Jacqueline 
Miller, deputy secretary for the New Mexico DoIT.

The core-to-core interoperability demonstration is a significant 
milestone in establishing New Mexico’s implementation of the nationwide 
First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet). New Mexico’s FirstNet 
broadband public-safety network will be the communications backbone for 
federal, state and local public-safety professionals to talk to one 
another, exchange data and collaborate using smartphones and radios.

“With the completion of this first phase, the state of New Mexico is on 
track to ensure our first responders have their communications needs met 
to best serve the people of our state,” said Cabinet Secretary Darryl 
Ackley.

With phase one complete, the state is starting work on the second phase, 
which will deploy an LTE network in the Mexico/New Mexico border region. 
Working with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), DoIT and 
General Dynamics, the state will assess the public-safety network as it 
relates to managing public-safety operations in close proximity to the 
international border. The final phase will establish a live broadband 
public-safety network during the 2015 International Hot Air Balloon 
Fiesta in October.

New Mexico is one of seven BTOP grantees to receive funding for the 
development of a FirstNet public-safety network that includes 
authorization to access the public-safety broadband spectrum in the 700 
MHz band. However, only four of the seven original grantees — New 
Jersey, Los Angeles Regional Interoperable Communications Systems 
(LA-RICS), Adams County and New Mexico — established spectrum leasing 
agreements with FirstNet to use the funding and spectrum for early 
builder networks. Harris County, Texas, also operates an public-safety 
LTE early builder network with funding from a federal Port Authority 
grant.

“We are excited to be working with the New Mexico DoIT to implement this 
life-saving network across the state,” said Bill Weiss, vice president 
and general manager of ground systems for General Dynamics Mission 
Systems. “To see the Santa Fe system achieve this operational capability 
is a significant milestone for New Mexico’s public safety and first 
responder communities.”

General Dynamics is also part of the team that implemented the Adams 
County public-safety LTE network.



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