(The Center Square) — Attorney General Kris Mayes announced on Wednesday that Arizona reached a settlement with two major communication companies to bring reliable internet and phone service to Navajo and Apache counties.
As part of the agreement, Frontier Communications Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc. will invest $8 million to increase and strengthen broadband in these Native American counties.
Mayes said residents have experienced “unreliable internet and phone service that has jeopardized public safety, hurt local businesses, and put lives at risk during emergencies” for far too long.
“These settlements will hold Frontier and Verizon accountable to the communities they serve, bring major investments in broadband infrastructure, and represent a big step in ensuring that residents in these rural areas receive the high-quality service they deserve,” the attorney general stated.
Nearly $4 million will be spent on connecting homes, businesses and public institutions to high-speed fiber.
Also, more than $2 million will be spent by these companies to improve fiber network reliability between Holbrook, Snowflake and Show Low. Furthermore, over $2 million will be spent to fortify connections between St. Johns, Concho, Springerville, Vernon and Show Low.
All these financial commitments are enforceable through a consent judgment by the Arizona attorney general.
In the agreement, Verizon, which is in the process of acquiring Frontier for $20 billion, is responsible for identifying and fixing the causes of public safety and 911 outages in these counties. Additionally, the company will need to complete a full network audit, fund investments to make sure customers have reliable service and enact upgraded maintenance practices.
As part of the agreement, customers in these counties who have Frontier will not see a rate increase until 2027. Low-income service plans will be offered to customers in these counties.
The Arizona Attorney General’s Office will have party status to make Verizon comply with its obligations through the Arizona Corporation Commission, which is a state regulatory agency that oversees public utilities.
The commission still needs to approve this settlement.
Mayes warned if Verizon or Frontier “fail to live up to these commitments,” she will “not hesitate to go to court to compel compliance.”
