Skip to Content

Yuma County broadband network expected to get major upgrade

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - A multi-million dollar investment is being debated to help those working or learning from home. The money would provide faster and more reliable internet at a more affordable cost.

The Yuma County Board of Supervisors met for a special session Monday morning. Current plans call for 181 miles of fiber optic cabling that would be installed underground.

“I use it to send emails and to talk to people and to read newspapers and magazines and podcasts.”

For Robert Steele, a veteran Yuma County resident, reliable internet speed is important.

“They're not really reliable because the internet often gets dropped and I have to reboot my internet service a few times a week, sometimes a couple of times a day,” Steele admitted.

This is a problem so many people are experiencing.

Yuma County officials say even before the COVID-19 pandemic the county had poor internet service. They say current providers have not sufficiently upgraded the existing infrastructure.

"It’s not common just to Yuma County. Is common to a lot of rural areas where broadband is spotty to say the least you know the cities normally have some sort of power or some sort of adequate broadband but everything else around the outlying areas has struggled with it," Reyes explained.

Chairman Tony Reyes says the poor network affects those who work from home and even school children learning virtually.
 
The board of supervisors is looking to incentivize the private sector for this project.

“This is ultimately one of the reasons why we're sitting here because we ultimately want the private sector to go ahead and finish that project and make it make broadband available to the residents at a reasonable amount,” Reyes said.
 
The current estimated cost is 37.5 million dollars.
 
50% will come from the county’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding, while the other half could come from state and federal broadband grant funds.

One thing’s for sure, Steele is looking forward to much better coverage.

“We can't get video real well through it and movies and downloads. So broadband would really open up the internet for us,” Steele added.

The board of supervisors did not vote on the motion during Monday's meeting - asking for an additional ten days to allow for public comment.

If approved, the county says expected completion could be between December 2022 and June 2023.

Article Topic Follows: News

Jump to comments ↓

Author Profile Photo

Cody Lee

Cody Lee joined 13 On Your Side and KYMA News 11 in March 2020, but he’s no stranger to Arizona. He grew up in the Phoenix area and enjoys everything Arizona has to offer.

You can contact Cody at cody.lee@kecytv.com.

BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION

KYMA KECY is committed to providing a forum for civil and constructive conversation.

Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. You can review our Community Guidelines by clicking here

If you would like to share a story idea, please submit it here.

Skip to content