News
A public-private partnership in Arizona has celebrated breaking ground on a 100-mile open access dark fiber network that will expand connectivity in one of the most rural corners of the state.
By: Brad Randall, Broadband Communities
A new network under construction in Navajo County, Arizona will provide broadband capacity to support telehealth services, educational demands, and municipal needs, according to the company spearheading the project.
eX² Technology, a Vivacity company, announced the network’s groundbreaking this week, along with the news that they’ve agreed to maintain the network for 20 years upon its completion.
As part of the agreement, reached with the Navajo County Board of Supervisors, “eX² will serve as the county’s exclusive commercialization partner to market and offer conduit, dark fiber, wireless and other wireline assets on a competitively neutral basis to those seeking to expand their services throughout the region.”
The project broke ground April 23 at the Navajo County Fairgrounds in Holbrook, according to eX²’s announcement.
eX², based in Omaha, is described as “a single source solution for those seeking to build, scale or future proof their communications infrastructure,” according to the organization’s LinkedIn page.
“Additionally, (the network) will interconnect with existing fiber networks in the region as well as facilitate future connections to Phoenix, Arizona, neighboring counties and tribal networks, and an I-40 corridor expansion to Albuquerque, New Mexico,” the company’s announcement stated.
Jay Jorgensen, the COO at eX² Technology, said the middle-mile network will serve as an engine of economic growth in the county, which is located in the northeastern portion of the state.
“Moreover, the infrastructure will aid in closing the area’s digital gap by allowing residents to easily tap into telehealth, online learning, remote working, public safety communications, and an array of other local government services,” Jorgensen said, according to eX²’s release. “We’re thrilled to partner with Navajo County to deliver this next-generation broadband infrastructure.”
Navajo County’s total investment in broadband infrastructure is approaching $20 million. The county previously received a $9.7 million Rural Arizona Broadband Development Grant from the Arizona Commerce Authority and $10 million allocated by the Navajo County Board of Supervisors from ARPA funds.
The county, which includes portions of the Navajo Nation, the Hopi Indian Reservation and the White Mountain Apache Indian Reservation, can expect to see the network completed by 2025, according to eX²’s announcement, which also thanked Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs.
