Arizona Commerce Authority Announces Statewide Broadband Middle-Mile Strategic Plan

The Arizona Commerce Authority, in partnership with the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT), announced the Arizona Statewide Broadband Middle-Mile Strategic Plan, which supports current broadband expansion efforts on Interstate 17 and Interstate 19. The Strategic Plan has led to the creation of the Statewide Middle-Mile Network, which aims to increase broadband service along I-17 and I-19 and future expansion along additional interstate and state highways. Designated corridors for fiber optic conduit installation for the Middle-Mile Network include 141 miles for I-17 between Flagstaff and Phoenix (AZ) and 60 miles for I-19 between Tucson and Nogales (AZ). Both routes combined will add 200 miles of broadband conduit by early 2023. The Strategic Plan identifies 726,357 households in Arizona within a five mile radius of Arizona’s interstates and state routes that are either unserved or underserved in basic broadband connectivity. The State’s efforts on I-17 and I-19 will have the ability to address 148,305 of these households. The Middle Mile Broadband Network adds to the significant steps in recent years to increase broadband access. Arizona in 2019 allocated $3 million for Rural Broadband Development Grants, and in 2022 allocated $100 million for the Arizona Broadband Development Grant to fund broadband development statewide.