Move would dedicate $60 million to help “close the gap” for rural areas with limited access to broadband
Governor Doug Ducey is calling for increased investment in broadband for Arizona’s rural areas that would help “close the gap” for rural residents and communities where access to broadband services is often limited.
Ducey wants to more than triple the state’s investment in what’s known as the rural broadband development grant, from $3 million to $10 million, and will be seeking $50 million for fiber optic infrastructure development along the interstates in rural areas.
The move would be especially beneficial to the mostly-rural areas, communities, and residents served by Arizona’s rural electric cooperatives.
Dave Lock, CEO of Grand Canyon State Electric Cooperative Association, the statewide association that represents Arizona’s electric cooperatives, called Ducey’s commitment to rural broadband “vitally important.”
“Arizona’s rural electric cooperatives appreciate Gov. Ducey’s commitment to providing funding tools necessary to improve broadband access across the state,” said Lock, CEO of Grand Canyon State Electric Cooperative Association. “Having access to high-speed connectivity in the more remote corners of our state is vitally important for a variety of reasons.”
Casey Ratlief, GCSECA’s director of government relations and grassroots advocacy, said there is a critical need for more funding to improve access to broadband in Arizona’s rural communities.
“Arizona’s rural electric cooperatives are thrilled by Governor Ducey’s proposed tripling of the rural broadband development grant program and $50 million for smart highway corridors, which will open up opportunities for more broadband penetration in rural areas,” Ratlief said.
“Currently, 34 percent of rural Arizonans are without high-speed broadband internet, bold leadership is needed to close this gap and that’s what we are seeing from Governor Ducey,” Ratlief said.
