COCONINO COUNTY — The Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program in Arizona has achieved a funding milestone, marking a major step forward in closing the digital divide and expanding high-speed internet access for residents, businesses and community agencies.
Thousands of households in Coconino County do not have adequate internet access, which is critical for public safety, education, healthcare, employment and economic opportunities.
Arizona is a BEAD program recipient and has outlined a plan to invest nearly a billion dollars to provide reliable high-speed internet access for all residents by 2030. This week, the Arizona BEAD plan received final approval from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).
Coconino County is proud to be a partner in Arizona’s BEAD process and has been active in collecting information about households that are both under and unserved across our expansive and rugged landscape that is over 18,000 square miles.
“Approval of the BEAD program is more than an investment in broadband, it’s an investment in people, possibility and the future of Coconino County,” said Patrice Horstman, District 1 Supervisor and Board Chair. “When every household, every student and every small business has access to reliable high-speed internet, the barriers that once limited opportunity begin to fall away.”
The BEAD program will invest $68.7 million in Coconino County through grants for high-speed internet infrastructure projects and will result in providing more than 10,000 Coconino County households with high-speed internet access.
The next, and final, step prior to receiving a Notice of Award from NTIA is a review from the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
For more information about BEAD visit azcommerce.com/broadband/initiatives/bead.