Pima and Santa Cruz counties present regional broadband feasibility study, outline gaps and next steps

A joint Pima–Santa Cruz feasibility study aimed at closing rural broadband gaps will produce a gap analysis, conceptual designs and financing options to guide county and regional internet expansion, presenters told the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on May 20.

The project team — including Juan Balderas, Santa Cruz County chief information officer, and Michelle Simon, director of Pima County’s Office of Digital Inclusion — said the USDA broadband technical assistance grant funds a study that is intended to arm local leaders with data for state and federal grant applications and for targeted local investments.

“All community members will have equitable access to affordable and reliable high‑speed broadband internet to successfully participate in our democratic society,” project manager Lena Barrera read to the board as the study’s stated vision.

Simon emphasized the project’s funding context and limits, saying the grant covers feasibility and planning work rather than immediate deployment: “This funding that we received from the grant is actually from the USDA Rural Utility Service. It allows us to do a feasibility study and help the area and identify next steps and provide data and information so those stakeholders who make those important decisions can have the right information and move forward.”

Public engagement is a major component of the study. Public engagement manager Joseph Caffari told the board the team has held roughly 450 in‑person conversations at festivals and community events and collected 323 survey responses (312 English, 11 Spanish) that are being paired with infrastructure maps to identify priority areas.

“We don’t know what we don’t know,” Caffari said, explaining the outreach emphasis and showing examples of how community stories about 911 access, work‑from‑home needs and health monitoring inform prioritization.

Consultants described preliminary market findings: limited last‑mile fiber in many unserved and underserved places, affordability pressure in lower‑income communities, and common deployment challenges such as rugged terrain and low density. Recommendations under consideration include prioritizing anchor institutions (libraries, schools, health centers), exploring open‑access models to encourage competition, and targeting low‑cost, high‑impact segments first.

Supervisors asked whether Nogales would be covered. The presenters said the USDA grant focuses on rural, remote census tracts but that middle‑mile work will benefit nearby population centers and that the final report will include maps to show the study’s geographic scope.

The board was told the study will move from gap analysis to conceptual design, cost estimates and financing models through late 2026, producing materials the county can take to legislators and federal grantors or use to guide local budgeting and targeted projects.

Next steps: the team will continue community outreach, complete the gap analysis and return with a design and cost framework later this year.