[1st-mile-nm] 1st-Mile Initiatives: Update

[Richard Lowenberg]

Greetings 1st-Milers,
     I want to provide some news on 1st-Mile Institute efforts, growing from
this online community and its exchanges, and from the past year's behind the
scenes work.
     First of all, the 1st-Mile Institute has been awarded a $10,000
'seed-funding' grant from the NM McCune Foundation, via our non-profit fiscal
sponsor, Ars Publica.   Thank you, McCune Foundation, and Ars Publica.
     Second:  For the past year, I have been formulating and proposing an
"Integrated Strategic Broadband Initiative" for the State of New Mexico.
Following on lots of background work and meetings since early this year, with
representatives of State departments and agencies, telecommunications
companies, university, business and community leaders and others, this proposal
recently moved forward to the Governor's Office, guided by the Governor's
Science Advisor, Tom Bowles.
     At the end of July, staff and Advisors in the Governor's Office agreed that
I should be immediately contracted to substantiate the proposed Initiative, in
order to take informed necessary next steps.   The contract, to be issued by the
newly established NM Computing Applications Center, is with Design Nine, Inc.,
Andrew Cohill's national broadband planning firm, with which I am associated as
a Senior Planner.   This initial contract has deliverables due at the beginning
of September.
      Attached is a three page .pdf that was prepared for and presented to the
NM IT Commission this morning.   It provides a brief outline of the proposal
and work plan for a "New Mexico Integrated Strategic Broadband Initiative".
      As you will see, there is a lot to do in a very short amount of time.  It
is my hope that this list may be used to help substantiate this effort, to
share needed information, and to discuss the needs, opportunities and means of
moving this state forward in some pragmatic and example-setting ways.
      Thanks for your participation on this list to date.   I look forward to a
productive next phase of exchanges.
Richard

-- 
Richard Lowenberg
1st-Mile Institute
P.O. Box 8001, Santa Fe, NM 87504
505-989-9110;   505-603-5200 cell
rl at 1st-mile.com  www.1st-mile.com


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