Arizona is laying 134 miles of fiber to give its technology economy a new backbone

A fiber ring spanning 134 miles

Southern Arizona has started building a 134-mile fiber ring that could change where fast internet reaches and where technology businesses can grow. Pima County broke ground on September 24, 2026.

The open-access project will circle greater Tucson and reach toward underserved areas. Construction begins as broadband becomes essential for work, school, health care, and business.

The middle mile explained

This project will not run a connection straight into every house. Middle-mile fiber carries large amounts of data between major internet backbones and the local networks that serve neighborhoods.

Pima County compares it to a bridge linking internet service providers with local connections. Building that bridge can make neighborhood expansion faster, cheaper, and more practical.

Federal dollars started the project

Washington supplied most of the money years before construction began. On July 1, 2023, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration awarded Pima County a five-year grant worth $30.3 million.

The design-build agreement announced in 2025 was valued at approximately $43.2 million. That gap shows the award covers most, but not all, of the network’s cost.

The ring wraps around greater Tucson

The network forms a ring around Pima County’s urban core and nearby rural communities. The route encircles greater Tucson rather than ending at a single central location.

Pima County developed the path and specifications with four municipal partners. Those partners are Tucson, Marana, Oro Valley, and Sahuarita, each helping reduce construction conflicts and recommend design details.

Little-known fact: The Tucson region is sometimes called “Optics Valley” and leads Arizona’s $4 billion optics industry.

Construction starts in Three Points

The September 24 groundbreaking took place outside Three Points Fire Station 302 at 7400 South Sandario Road. The station sits along the route and serves as a community anchor institution.

Sandario Road is the first active construction segment in the project’s planned two-year schedule. The location places rural connectivity outside Tucson at the project’s launch.

A private builder leads the work

Pima County selected eX² Technology to design and build the ring following the Board of Supervisors’ approval of the project award in 2024. The company is part of Vivacity Infrastructure Group.

County technology, construction, conservation, and digital inclusion teams will oversee key work. Their work includes contractor coordination and compliance with state, federal, and tribal rules.

Little-known fact: Tech Launch Arizona has helped launch more than 160 startups based on University of Arizona inventions.

Open access could invite competition

The fiber is planned as an open-access network, so Pima County will not reserve it for one carrier. Any viable provider can use the shared backbone to expand broadband service.

That neutral model can lower the cost of entering areas where building an entire backbone is uneconomic. Providers could compete on price, speed, and reliability.

Homes still need the last mile

Residents should not expect a county fiber line to reach their doors immediately. The ring ends at the middle mile, while internet providers must finance and build the final links to neighborhoods.

That distinction makes provider participation crucial after the backbone opens. Pima County says infrastructure should reduce costs that discourage service to remote customers.

The digital divide remains uneven

Tucson’s broadband numbers look strong at first. In 2024, 94% of metro households had service, slightly above the national rate of 93%.

Yet access among American Indian and Alaska Native households in the Tucson area was 83.7%. Pima County reports rural areas below the standard of 100 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload.

Fiber supports a growing tech base

Southern Arizona already supports substantial technology and commercialization work. Tech Launch Arizona, the University of Arizona’s commercialization office, generated $459.7 million in statewide economic output and supported 3,070 jobs during fiscal 2025.

The fiber ring will not create those jobs by itself. It can support research, startups, advanced manufacturing, and remote teams moving large files.

The link reaches beyond Pima County

The Pima ring is one piece of Arizona’s broader middle-mile strategy. State officials are also building or using fiber corridors along Interstates 17, 19, and 40 to link rural areas with larger internet hubs.

Officials say the Pima work completes a critical connection from Nogales to Tucson. It broadens service across Southern Arizona’s border region.

Access involves more than new cable

Pima County’s Connect Pima plan treats infrastructure as only one part of digital inclusion. It also calls for affordable plans, devices, technical skills, and community-based support.

County figures put the average cost of 100/20 Mbps subscriptions between $45 and $100 per month. A backbone can improve availability, but families still need affordable service prices and equipment.

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Completion is set for June 2028

County officials list June 2028 as the target for finishing the network. Before that date, crews must build the ring while agencies handle permits, environmental reviews, cultural assessments, and construction oversight.

The timetable matters because the grant runs for 5 years starting in 2023. Delays could postpone providers’ use of the ring in nearby underserved communities.

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Do you think Arizona’s 134-mile fiber network will bring meaningful technology jobs and better internet access to underserved communities? Share your view in the comments.

This slideshow was made with AI assistance and human editing.

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