Cox high-speed Internet is coming to downtown Huachuca City at the end of the summer, in an effort to expand into rural areas of southern Arizona.
Cox Communications announced plans to expand high-speed Internet, phone, TV and security in the City of Huachuca and southeast Sierra Vista last year. Construction started in January and will continue until July with the project expected to be completed in August. 25 depending on construction conditions, supply chain issues, etc.
The expansion to both locations will add 2,000 homes and businesses and more than 34 miles of fiber-optic cable in southern Arizona, Cox Communications said in a press release. The company has committed $2.7 billion nationally to its network, including expanding its reach into rural communities in Arizona.
Huachuca City Mayor Johann Wallace said the city has limited internet options offered by major wireless providers. Although these are good options, he noted that they are not reliable. Additionally, many citizens rely on their phones to access the internet which can be hindered by data caps, slow connections and network congestion.
“I am very happy with the improvement in the quality of life for the residents here,” he said about the expansion of 1G broadband service in the City of Huachuca.
Wallace said the project was fully funded by Cox Communications. He emphasized how Cox will provide packages for low-income families, a boon for the 27% of city residents who live below the poverty line, according to 2020 US Census data. Some of these programs include Affordable Connectivity and the Connect2Compete program for students.
“A lot of people in this community will have access to great internet at a reasonable price that they might not be able to afford right now,” Wallace said.
Expanding into rural southern Arizona can be challenging because of its remoteness, rocky terrain and preservation of native vegetation, Susan Anable, vice president of the Phoenix market with Cox Communications, said in an email.
Additionally, the permitting and testing process for broadband networks can be “difficult” for small communities, and the approval and permitting process can take more than a year to complete, he said.
Wallace said he hopes the presence of broadband in the city of Huachuca will attract more businesses to the area. The town is not only known for its proximity to Fort Huachuca, a US Army base, but it is also known for being a safe and peaceful town with remarkable sunsets, giving it the nickname “Sunset City.”
While the landfill brings money to the city, he hopes the broadband will help diversify the economy of the City of Huachuca.
“We do that by raising sales tax revenue for new businesses that come in,” Wallace said of reducing the city’s reliance on waste revenue. “If we don’t have the infrastructure for it, businesses won’t come in. So that all ties go back to having good electricity, good water, sewage and good connections.”
The spread of southern Arizona in the azcentral.com and the Arizona Republic is sponsored by the non-profit American Report in partnership with The Republic.
Reach the reporter at sarah.lapidus@gannett.com.