[1st-mile-nm] New Mexico to Opt-in to FirstNet Network

[Richard Lowenberg]

New Mexico to Transform Communications for Public Safety; Governor 
Martinez Approves Buildout Plan for First Responder Network

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  August 1, 2017

News Media Contact:  Chrissie Coon (571) 599-4093

(Click on article to see all links.)

https://www.firstnet.gov/news/new-mexico-transform-communications-public-safety-governor-martinez-approves-buildout-plan

First-of-its-Kind Solution Will Create Jobs, Spur Investment and 
Modernize Public Safety Communications across the State

RESTON, Va., Aug. 1, 2017 – New Mexico is paving the way for 
advancements in public safety communications technology. Today, Governor 
Susana Martinez announced her decision to accept the FirstNet and AT&T 
plan to deliver a wireless broadband network to the State’s public 
safety community. This will make New Mexico the 9th state or territory 
to “opt-in” to FirstNet and bring advanced technologies that will help 
first responders save lives and protect communities.

“We have to keep doing more to keep our communities safe,” said Governor 
Susana Martinez. “I worked closely with law enforcement as a prosecutor 
for 25 years. I’ve seen firsthand the need for a streamlined and 
modernized communication network for our men and women in uniform. This 
system will help them save more lives.”

AT&T, in a public-private partnership with FirstNet, will build, operate 
and maintain a highly secure wireless broadband communications network 
for New Mexico’s public safety community at no cost to the State for the 
next 25 years. The FirstNet network will drive innovation and create an 
entire system of modernized devices, apps and tools just for first 
responders.

The FirstNet network will transform the way New Mexico’s fire, police, 
EMS and other public safety personnel communicate and share information. 
Specifically, FirstNet and AT&T will:
•	Connect first responder subscribers to the critical information they 
need in a highly secure manner when handling day-to-day operations, 
responding to emergencies and supporting large events, like the 
Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.
•	Create an efficient communications experience for public safety 
personnel in agencies and jurisdictions across the State during natural 
disasters. This includes large wildfires like the one experienced in 
2012 that burned more than 170,000 acres in the Gila National Forest.
•	Enhance network coverage in rural areas, benefitting first responders 
that serve the 690,000+ residents spread across rural New Mexico.
•	Provide first responders with access to dedicated network deployables 
for additional coverage and support when needed.
•	Drive infrastructure investments and create jobs across the State.
•	Usher in a new wave of innovation that first responders can depend on. 
This will create an ever-evolving set of life-saving tools for public 
safety, including public safety apps, specialized devices and Internet 
of Things technologies. It also carries the potential for future 
integration with NextGen 9-1-1 networks and Smart Cities’ 
infrastructure.

“This is a great step in making our communities safer,” said Department 
of Public Safety Cabinet Secretary Scott Weaver. “I spent years as a 
State Police officer driving around New Mexico in a squad car – in and 
out of every community in the state. I know firsthand just how exciting 
this improvement is for our men and women who put on the uniform.”

“We are proud of this partnership and the DOIT team will keep doing 
everything we can to support our partners in the law enforcement 
community,” said Department of Information Technology Cabinet Secretary 
Darryl Ackley. “The Department will do everything we can to work with 
our technology partners at FirstNet and AT&T to deploy this system and 
help them make sure it is completely reliable for our men and women who 
put their lives on the line for us every single day.”

The FirstNet solution that will be built in New Mexico was designed with 
direct input from the State’s public safety community. FirstNet has been 
engaging with New Mexico’s officials and public safety personnel for 
years to address their unique communication needs. This includes:
•	Expanding coverage in rural and tribal areas, including New Mexico’s 
Bootheel
•	Enabling state, local, tribal and federal agencies to effectively 
communicate and coordinate along the border
•	Increasing capacity during emergencies and natural disasters through 
the use of deployables

“Governor Martinez’s decisive action to join FirstNet demonstrates New 
Mexico’s strong commitment to public safety," said FirstNet CEO Mike 
Poth. "The FirstNet network will connect first responders operating 
across New Mexico’s diverse landscape – including its rural, mountainous 
and remote areas, as well as federal and tribal lands. FirstNet and AT&T 
are pleased to have delivered a plan that meets New Mexico’s unique 
needs, and we look forward to equipping first responders with the 
communications tools they need every day and in every emergency.”

The decision enables FirstNet and AT&T to begin creating an entirely new 
wireless ecosystem for public safety communications. New Mexico’s first 
responder subscribers will have immediate access to quality of service 
and priority to voice and data across the existing nationwide AT&T LTE 
network.

Preemption for primary users over the AT&T LTE network is expected by 
year-end. This means fire, police, EMS and other public safety workers 
will have dedicated access to the network when and where they need it – 
24/7/365, like their mission.

“AT&T is honored to work with the state to provide a communications 
network that will allow New Mexico’s first responders to operate faster, 
safer and more effectively,” said Jerry Fuentes, president, AT&T New 
Mexico. “This first-of-its kind network will transform the way our 
public safety community communicates, in both our urban and rural areas, 
increasing safety for them and the New Mexicans they serve.”

For more information on FirstNet, please visit FirstNet.gov/mediakit and 
att.com/FirstResponderNews. For more about the value FirstNet will bring 
to public safety, please visit FirstNet.com.

About FirstNet
The First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) is an independent 
authority within the U.S. Department of Commerce, overseen by a 15 
member Board. Chartered in 2012, its mission is to ensure the building, 
deployment, and operation of the nationwide, broadband network that 
equips first responders to save lives and protect U.S. communities. 
Learn more at FirstNet.gov/mediakit and follow FirstNet (@FirstNetGov) 
on Facebook and Twitter for updates.

About AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) helps millions around the globe connect with leading 
entertainment, business, mobile and high speed internet services. We 
offer the nation’s best data network** and the best global coverage of 
any U.S. wireless provider. We’re one of the world’s largest providers 
of pay TV. We have TV customers in the U.S. and 11 Latin American 
countries. Nearly 3.5 million companies, from small to large businesses 
around the globe, turn to AT&T for our highly secure smart solutions.

About FirstNet
The Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 created the 
First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) as an independent authority 
within NTIA to provide emergency responders with the first nationwide, 
high-speed, broadband network dedicated to public safety.


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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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