Attorney General Kris Mayes said this settlement is \u201ca big step\u201d in providing these community members with \u201cthe high-quality service they deserve.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor too long, residents in Navajo and Apache counties have suffered from unreliable internet and phone service that has jeopardized public safety, hurt local businesses and put lives at risk during emergencies,\u201d Mayes said in a press release.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, Mayes traveled to a town hall meeting in Apache County to discuss a portion of the settlement, which features Frontier Communications and Verizon pouring in a combined $8 million to address internet bandwidth, with about $4 million to \u201cimprove fiber network reliability\u201d between the following areas:<\/p>\n
Holbrook
\nSnowflake
\nShow Low
\nSt. Johns
\nConcho
\nSpringerville
\nVernon.<\/p>\n
The remaining $4 million of the investment will target the internet connection of homes, businesses and other public institutions.<\/p>\n
Other details of internet settlement in rural Arizona<\/p>\n
Besides the financial settlement, Verizon must \u201cidentify and fix the root causes of public safety and 911 outages in the region\u201d and \u201cimplement enhanced maintenance practices.\u201d<\/p>\n
Also, customers of Frontier Communications, which was purchased by Verizon in May, will not have their rates increase until 2027. They will be eligible for \u201clow-income service plans.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mayes emphasized any deviation from the settlement agreement will force her hand to bring non-compliance to court.<\/p>\n
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