Mark Goldstein, Arizona Telecommunications & Information Council (ATIC) Chair presented Arizona Broadband Policy Past, Present, and Future on March 25, 2024 at the Arizona Broadband for All special meeting briefly recapping 35-years of Arizona broadband policy and initiatives.

1. By Mark Goldstein, Chair, ATIC and
President, International Research Center
markg@researchedge.com, http://www.researchedge.com/
Monday, March 25, 2024
at the Flinn Foundation, Phoenix
https://www.arizonatele.org/
Arizona Broadband Policy
Past, Present, and Future
https://www.arizonatele.org/about-
stakeholder-network.html
https://aredf.org/
https://arizonabroadbandforall.org/

2. Arizona Broadband Initiatives in the 1990s
GSPED’s AICI transitions to ATIC in 1995
Arizona Joint Legislative
Committee on
Telecommunications
https://telemedicine.arizona.edu/
https://www.arizonatele.org/
GSPED’s Arizona Software Association (ASA)
becomes the Arizona Software & Internet
Association (AZSoft.net) which becomes
today’s Arizona Technology Council (AZTC)
https://www.aztechcouncil.org/
https://www.azleg.gov/
ASPIN Tri-University
Network becomes today’s
Sun Corridor Network
https://www.azregents.edu/

3. Arizona Broadband Initiatives 2010-2014
Regional Rural Policy Work
$6.6M in ARRA funding for Arizona
broadband mapping & policy activities
https://doa.az.gov/arizona-
strategic-enterprise-
technology-aset-office
+ BTOP project $
Arizona Digital Highways Bill SB1402
ASET/ASLD Mapping Portal
https://aset.az.gov/digital-highways

4. Arizona Digital Highways Bill SB1402 (2012)
https://aset.az.gov/digital-highways
State RoW expanded to include transportation of information

5. Arizona Broadband Initiatives 2017-2020
Shovel-Ready Project Grants
https://www.azcommerce.com/Broadband
Arizona State Land
Department (ASLD)
revised regulations to
allow and encourage
broadband infrastructure
deployment in utility
Right of Ways (ROW)
https://azfirstnet.az.gov/
$3M in Broadband Grants Provided to Underserved Areas
The Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) and Arizona
Department of Education provided $11M in funds to leverage the
build of some $150M in new rural fiber infrastructure for K-12
school & library broadband enhancements under a special 2-year
FCC e-rate program beyond annual e-rate support.

6. Arizona Telecommunications & Information
Council (ATIC) & Greater Arizona Educational
Leadership (GAZEL) launched the Arizona
Broadband Stakeholder Network (AZBN)
Arizona Broadband Initiatives 2020-2024
An additional $100M in broadband grants provided to
underserved areas. Arizona awarded $993.1M in federal
BEAD funding for additional grant capacity being driven
by the Arizona Broadband Office’s:
BEAD Five-Year Action Plan
BEAD Initial Proposal, Volume 1
BEAD Initial Proposal, Volume 2
Arizona’s Digital Equity Plan
Governor Katie Hobbs has convened
an Interagency and Community
Broadband Advisory Council (ICBAC)
https://www.azcommerce.com/broadband/
https://connect-arizona.com/
https://commonsenseinstituteaz.org/
https://www.arizonatele.org/about-
stakeholder-network.html
https://digitalequityinstitute.org/

7. https://www.aztechcouncil.org/public-policy/
(Broadband Section)
(Broadband Section)
(Broadband Section)
(Broadband Section)
https://scitechinstitute.org/

8. The Arizona Telemedicine Council was created by
Arizona State Legislature and has met quarterly in
Phoenix since 1996.
https://telemedicine.arizona.edu/
https://southwesttrc.org/