Grand Canyon Times

Phoenix, AZ – On June 26, Governor Katie Hobbs announced Arizona will receive $993.1 million to build infrastructure and deploy technology that will expand high-speed internet access to millions of Arizonans. The announcement comes after Governor Hobbs secured $23 million in this year’s budget agreement for the creation of the Rural Broadband Accelerated Match fund in anticipation of these awards.

“Access to reliable internet is critical to creating equal opportunities for all Arizonans,” said Governor Katie Hobbs. “For too long, millions of Arizonans have lacked this access, preventing them from attaining good paying jobs, quality education, and even basic healthcare services. With this funding, my Administration will work with local, Tribal, and industry partners to connect every Arizonan, in every community, across the state and build an Arizona that works for everyone.”

The money is received through the federal government’s BEAD program. Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment Program (BEAD) managed by the National Telecommunications Information Administration (NTIA) under the US Department of Commerce.  The BEAD Program provides critical funding that invests in long-needed infrastructure improvements to ensure broadband is affordable and accessible to hardworking families across the state. In March 2023, Governor Hobbs met with NTIA Assistant Secretary Alan Davidson to reiterate Arizona’s commitment to utilizing BEAD dollars to close the digital divide and ensure all Arizonans have access to affordable and dependable high-speed internet. The program is a critical item in President Biden’s Investing in America agenda.

The Arizona State Broadband Office, within the Arizona Commerce Authority, began planning and stakeholder engagement in December of last year for successful and equitable deployment of this historic broadband investment. Over this process, the Office submitted 60,000 successful challenges to the Federal Communications Commission broadband maps to ensure all unserved and underserved Arizona households were accounted for in the BEAD formula funding. The Broadband office and Commerce Authority will now administer the deployment of the nearly $1 billion in BEAD funds over the next five years to ensure all Arizonans are connected to affordable, high-quality internet.

“High-speed internet access is becoming a greater need throughout all tribal communities in the state of Arizona,” said Speaker Crystalyne Curley of the 25th Navajo Nation Council. “The funding will be very beneficial for first responders, students, businesses, and many others on the Navajo Nation. We look forward to working with Governor Hobbs and the state agencies to ensure that tribal nations maximize the benefits of the NTIA funding,”  

“This funding will be instrumental to keep all of Arizona’s economy growing and thriving,” said Mayor Mila Besich. “For small rural communities like Superior, having reliable internet not only helps connect our residents and grow our economy, it will be critical to public safety as well.”

“Today’s announcement is great news for Arizona, our 91 cities and towns, and residents across our great state. This money will provide opportunities for cities and towns to support broadband availability and adoption in their communities that will help close the digital divide and ensure rural, suburban, and urban communities have equal opportunity to access and afford high-speed internet” said René Guillen, Deputy Director, League of Arizona Cities and Towns. “In conversations with mayors and city and town managers across the state, whether it’s for economic development, educational purposes, or just personal access, the need for high-speed internet access has been a common refrain. We look forward to collaborating with our state and federal partners on putting this money to good use to benefit our residents.”

“This nearly $1 billion investment in Arizona's broadband infrastructure will be a game changer,” said Mignonne Hollis, Executive Director of the Arizona Regional Economic Development Foundation. “This is especially so in rural areas, where access to reliable high-speed is one of the biggest impediments to economic development, access to telehealth, and quality of life. We look forward to working with the Hobbs Administration on the placement of these grant funds into Arizona's rural communities."

“Common Sense Media’s research has shown that internet service is essential for families, whether for education, work, health care, or connecting with loved ones,” said Ilana Lowery, the Arizona Director of Common Sense Media. “This historic federal investment will ensure that every Arizonan, no matter where they live or how much they make, has access to affordable, high-speed broadband.”

Original source can be found here.