County Breaks Ground on Final Mile 5G Wireless Internet Project

Описание: On January 14, 2026, at a ceremony on the grounds of Toltec Elementary School in Eloy, Pinal County officials broke ground on the Final Mile 5G Project, which will see 32 radio towers constructed across the County to provide 5G wireless internet to rural communities.

The project, years in the making, is fully federally funded, predominantly from ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) Covid recovery funds, after remote learning during the pandemic brought to light deficiencies in reliable internet access in rural areas of Pinal County.

Pinal County and the Pinal County School Superintendent’s Office worked together to develop the system, with the towers constructed on County-owned property or on property belonging to school districts, Central Arizona College, and the Town of Mammoth.ACTower Opens in new window

Construction on the first tower at the Arizona City Library has been completed, with the remaining 31 towers to be built in the coming months, in partnership with Doege Development. In addition to improving remote learning, the service could offer opportunities in areas such as telemedicine, government services, emergency management, and local business and economic development.

As well as ARPA funding, the project would not have been possible without four individual Congressional earmarks, supported by Senator Mark Kelly, Representative Juan Ciscomani, and Representative Greg Stanton.