Sinema, Arizonans with Rural Broadband Association Highlight Steps Closing Digital Divide Across Arizona

May 2, 2023

Senator recently announced $99.4 million for affordable, reliable internet access across Arizona

WASHINGTON – Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema met with Valley TeleCom Group – a leading broadband provider for Arizona families and businesses in Graham, Greenlee, and Cochise Counties – to highlight how she’s ensuring all Arizonans have access to affordable, reliable, high-speed internet.
 
Earlier this year, Sinema announced a $99.4 million investment in Arizona broadband infrastructure to close the digital divide – ensuring Arizonans in all corners of the state can access the internet for their careers, educations, connections with loved ones, and so much more.
 
“We wrote our bipartisan infrastructure law to ensure Arizona received historic investments for broadband deployment, connecting all Arizonans with high-speed internet – no matter where they live. I’m working side-by-side with Arizonans to improve affordable broadband connectivity across our state,” said Sinema, lead author and negotiator of the bipartisan infrastructure law.
 
The recent $99.4 million investment builds on Sinema’s success expanding broadband across Arizona through her bipartisan infrastructure law – legislation the Senator negotiated, wrote, and led into law. Valley TeleCom Group has already received funding for two rural broadband projects from grants included in Sinema’s bipartisan infrastructure law.
 
The Senator’s law invests over $65 billion in broadband, including over $40 billion in funding for high speed broadband buildout in areas of the country with no access or with very poor coverage, provisions to ensure that the broadband service is affordable so that Arizonans know that they won’t be cut off from the internet if times are hard, and provisions to ensure that tribal lands have dedicated funding to meet their unique broadband needs.
 
Valley TeleCom Group is part of the Rural Broadband Association – which represents more than 850 independent, family-owned and community-based broadband companies that are building and delivering connectivity and essential services in rural and small-town communities across the country.

 
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