The Indian Health Service will receive up to 2,000 satellite phones, along with free service, as part of a pilot program.
The Albuquerque Area of the IHS will deploy the phones at four hospitals, 11 health centers and 12 field clinics in New Mexico, Colorado and Texas. Service will be free until 2020.
"Living without a phone impacts everything from education to employment to health care," Sen. Tom Udall (D-New Mexico) said in a statement. "In New Mexico, we saw this first hand when a man outside of Gallup missed two opportunities for a life-saving kidney transplant because he lacked telephone service at home and could not be contacted in time.
The phones and service are being provided by LightSquared.
Get the Story:
IHS to use satellite phones to communicate in rural locations
(The Farmington Daily Times 9/30)
Press Release: LightSquared and the Indian Health Service Partner for Remote Communications for the Indian Health System (LightSquared 9/29)
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