The race between Ruben Gallego and Kari Lake for Arizona’s U.S. Senate seat is among the more competitive races in the country. Races in the state’s 1st and 6th Congressional Districts are also toss-ups. Winning Congressional candidates will have a say in the country’s broadband future.

Arizona recognizes the 22 Tribal governments within the state, the sovereignty of these Tribal governments, and their jurisdiction over their lands. Arizona is home to more Tribal lands than any other state in the United States. Tribal lands make up approximately 28 percent of the total land area of Arizona, including the largest Tribal Nation in the U.S., the Navajo Nation. Arizona’s tribes are disproportionately affected by the digital divide.

Arizona Broadband

Arizona has a unique set of broadband access and adoption challenges. In terms of broadband infrastructure, only a limited number of Arizonans are on the wrong side of the "digital divide." However, most of Arizona's territory falls outside the coverage area of these broadband networks. 

The majority of Arizona's population resides within a limited number of urban areas, specifically 64 percent in Maricopa County, metro Phoenix, and metro Tucson. These areas generally have access to high-speed internet speeds surpassing the 100/20 Mbps speeds that the BEAD program targets. While only a small portion of the population in Arizona has access to gigabit speeds, almost 90 percent have access to 250 Mbps. 

Broadband coverage quality in Arizona varies significantly by region. North of Flagstaff and Kingman, in northern Arizona, there is almost no 100/20 Mbps broadband coverage offered through reliable technologies, leaving that portion of the state predominantly unserved or underserved. That being said, many parts of northeast Arizona have 25/3 Mbps coverage based on licensed fixed wireless technology. Even though some towns, such as Pinon, Round Rock, Cottonwood, and Cow Springs, have some form of broadband under the current definition of the FCC, they are still considered underserved. Many residents who live between these towns lack access to any form of broadband coverage. 

Towards the southern part of the state, there exist pockets of high-quality broadband coverage amidst large gaps. Some of these gaps are either uninhabited or have serviceable locations with no available providers. Wireline broadband services are offered in and around Phoenix, Prescott, Flagstaff, Snowflake, Safford, Tucson, Yuma, Sells, Clifton, Miami, and other smaller towns and suburbs. In some areas, fixed wireless networks are designed to cover locations where the wireline service is unavailable. Nevertheless, many of these larger areas lack broadband coverage. These regions are sparsely populated but still have a significant number of households lacking proper internet service. 

In general, the main challenge Arizona faces is the task of extending broadband networks from highly developed urban centers to the sparsely populated areas across the state. Most of these areas present high deployment costs per location, making the task even more challenging. 

Broadband adoption varies widely across the state, ranging from a high of 90.2 percent of households in Maricopa County to a low of 42.9 percent of households in Apache County. Possible reasons include subscriptions are not affordable. Over 1.1 million households in Arizona were eligible for the FCC’s Affordable Connectivity Program; over 500,000 of those households were enrolled at the end of the program in June of this year.

Senate Candidates’ Broadband Positions

Representative Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) has a record on broadband access and affordability issues. During his House tenure he has been involved in a number of broadband efforts.

• Earlier this year, he voiced support for universal broadband access.
• In 2024, he introduced a House version of a bicameral bill to extend the Affordable Connectivity Program.
• In September 2023, Gallego cosponsored a bill to ease the tax burden on BEAD and other federal broadband grant program recipients. 
• In 2021, Gallego announced that Arizona’s schools and libraries would be eligible for assistance through the American Rescue Plan to purchase hotspots and devices.

As a former chair and member of the House Subcommittee for Indian and Insular Affairs, Rep. Gallego advocated for the inclusion of funds for robust broadband deployment for Indian Country in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. He also sponsored the Bridging the Tribal Digital Divide Act of 2020 which, if passed would:

The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers endorsed Gallego’s 2024 Senate bid due, in part, to his support for the BEAD program and its labor requirements and union coordination standards.

Kari Lake’s positions on broadband and digital equity are not well-defined. Perhaps her most notable statement on broadband access was in response to a tweet from Rep. Gallego’s account, which highlighted the need for universal broadband access. In her response, Lake cited a Washington Times article that criticizes the BEAD program for its perceived lengthy timeline and inclusion of climate resiliency standards and “DEI mandates.”

Aside from this exchange, broadband access, affordability, and adoption issues are not a part of Lake’s platform.

Competitive House of Representatives Races

There are two toss-up elections in Arizona’s Congressional districts this cycle. 

In the 1st Congressional District, the Republican incumbent, Representative David Schweikert, is facing a challenge from former Arizona House of Representatives Member Dr. Amish Shah (D-Scottsdale). 

In May 2024, Schweikert introduced bipartisan legislation to expand telehealth services to Medicare patients. Despite this advocacy for equitable telehealth access, he voted against the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which established the BEAD and Digital Equity Act programs.

During his time in the Arizona Legislature, Shah voted for state funding for broadband infrastructure grants as well as for the establishment of a committee to study broadband and fiber optic services.

In Arizona’s 6th Congressional District, the race is a rematch of the 2022 race between the incumbent, Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ), and the challenger, Kirsten Engel (D-AZ).

In 2023, Ciscomani introduced bipartisan legislation in the House to reform the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s ReConnect Program to make it easier for small providers, local governments, nonprofits, and cooperatives to apply to this program and to shorten required permitting deadlines, expediting funding for projects in rural communities. In 2022, Engel’s campaign highlighted the need for continued investments in infrastructure, including broadband.

As November approaches, Arizonans who find themselves on the wrong side of the digital divide should consider which Congressional candidates will advocate for its closure.

The 6th C

Arizona's economic and cultural identity has long been anchored by the "5 C's": Copper, Cattle, Cotton, Citrus, and Climate. The next chapter of Arizona’s story adds a "6th C"—Connectivity. This new cornerstone represents the state's commitment to expand universal broadband internet access for all Arizonans.

Arizona's vision is to provide dependable and affordable high-speed internet services to every community and access to the necessary digital skills, so every resident can fully participate in a digital world. The state’s BEAD Five-Year Action Plan serves as a guide to achieving the following:

1. Provide universal connectivity to unserved and underserved areas and ensure high speed internet access is available to every household, business, anchor institution, Tribal Nation, and community in Arizona. 

2. Promote digital equity and inclusion through increased digital skills and access to devices for all Arizona residents including Tribal Nations and their members.

3. Create a 21st century workforce so Arizonans and Tribal Nations can succeed in the rapidly evolving job market where the state creates, grows, and attracts high wage businesses to increase economic development.

4. Coordinate broadband infrastructure investments with investments in healthcare, education, public safety, workforce and economic development statewide and on tribal lands.

5. Promote broadband service pricing that is affordable to all Arizonans including Tribal Nations and their members.

As Arizonans go to the polls in the coming weeks, they could decide which candidates will best help the state achieve these goals.

Additional Coverage on Arizona Broadband Priorities

• Robust, Resilient, Broadband Infrastructure for Arizona
• Arizona Aims to Make the "6th C" More Affordable
• Centering Communities in Arizona's Digital Equity Plan

See the latest Arizona broadband news

Reid Sharkey is a Community Broadband Specialist & Research Associate at the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society.

The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring that all people in the U.S. have access to competitive, High-Performance Broadband regardless of where they live or who they are. We believe communication policy - rooted in the values of access, equity, and diversity - has the power to deliver new opportunities and strengthen communities.

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