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.
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.
