The network will serve more than 72,000 Flagstaff residents and be constructed over the course of an estimated two-to three-year timeframe.
Following a competitive process, the Flagstaff City Council voted unanimously to award a $2 million grant that will fund Wecom’s design and construction of a fiber municipal network connecting an estimated nine miles of Flagstaff, including 34 critical city facilities such as public libraries, fire stations, the Flagstaff Recreation Center, City Hall and more. Separately, Wecom will utilize private funds to build a new, next-generation fiber broadband network covering virtually all of Flagstaff.
“Flagstaff families and businesses require affordable, reliable access to high-speed broadband and that’s exactly what the city’s partnership with Wecom will deliver,” said Flagstaff Mayor Becky Daggett. “This project will make a real difference for Flagstaff students, library users, jobseekers, telehealth patients and anyone else who needs lag-free internet access.”
Wecom will utilize private capital to fund the remainder of the $45+ million project, which will total more than 1.1 million feet of fiber and upon completion, provide multi-gigabit broadband across virtually all of the city limits. The network will serve more than 72,000 Flagstaff residents and be constructed over the course of an estimated two-to three-year timeframe.
“Wecom is committed to connecting Arizona and eliminating the digital divide so that every Flagstaff home and business has the fastest, most reliable broadband internet on the market,” said Wecom Fiber CEO Paul Fleming. “Broadband in 2024 is essential infrastructure, no less critical than roads or bridges, and Wecom thanks the City of Flagstaff for partnering with us on this vital project.”
Wecom, which specializes in fiber-to-the-premises and fixed-wireless technologies, is focused on internet affordability as a primary objective. The company offers a variety of low-cost broadband plans and participates in federal Internet accessibility programs including E-rate, Rural Health Care and Lifeline.
Currently, hundreds of thousands of Arizonans lack access to high-speed internet. The Coconino County Board of Supervisors approved a partnership with Wecom earlier this year to improve Northern Arizona broadband access, and Wecom also has agreements in place with Yavapai, Mohave, Pinal and La Paz counties. FBN
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