Rural AZ Needs More Broadband Access

A new report by the Federal Communications Commission says that people in rural Arizona lack access to high speed internet at a rate 50% higher than the national average. The report says that the lack of access will lead to loss of job opportunities.

The FCC’s annual broadband study shows that about 760,000 Arizonans don’t have high speed access. One in eight Arizonans lives in an area without broadband availability.

Public News Service reports that the agency is looking to more public and private partnerships to increase access, much like what was done with telephone service.

The FCC's Broadband Progress Report is online at fcc.gov.