Plateau offering fiber optics

Plateau's new fiber optics data service will optimize data services for city, county and medical offices in Tucumcari.

"There is a considerable difference in speed," said County Manager Richard Primrose.

Plateau Chief Executive Officer Tom Phelps said fiber optics is geared towards those who need a large bandwidth, including hospitals and government offices.

Phelps said Plateau offers residents wireless Internet, and said at this time the fiber optics service is not geared towards residential customers.

"Eventually we'll offer the service to all of our customers," Phelps said.

Phelps said the funding for this project has come from The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The ARRA provided Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Service (RUS) with $7.2 billion to expand access to broadband services in the United States.

The fiber optics is part of Plateau's Comprehensive Community Infrastructure Proposal, which was developed to deploy new or improved broadband Internet facilities. The goal is to connect institutions such as schools, libraries, hospitals, and public safety facilities to ensure sustainable community growth.

Rep. Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M., said in a letter to the NTIA:

"I believe the broadband initiative that is taking place in New Mexico will be an asset to the economy, education, healthcare and communication services. Our state will benefit greatly from this project be utilizing improved broadband services to bring together communities in rural New Mexico making information available to our citizens and helping to improve economic development and job growth."