Arizona's 'digital divide' highlights education needs in rural, urban areas

By Stacy Mantle
Mail

In many urban Arizona districts, students take advantage of digital tools like Khanmigo and MagicSchool to supplement learning. But in rural communities, limited bandwidth, aging infrastructure and affordability barriers often keep those tools out of reach.

The result: a widening achievement gap that no amount of in-class innovation can fix. 

Unequal access, unequal outcomes

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) currently defines broadband as a connection with minimum speeds of 25 megabits per second (Mbps) for downloads and 3 Mbps for uploads. However, this definition has evolved over time — and likely will again — as internet technology and user demands continue to advance.

“Digital connectivity is no longer a luxury, but a lifeline,” said Debra Gross, a recently retired teacher who taught in both the Chandler and Coolidge districts. “Yet, wide disparities in resources and access mean that students from low-income backgrounds are too often at a disadvantage in the classroom. If a student can’t come into class due to illness, and can’t access their homework, they often wind up being left behind,” 

While federal E-rate funding and state-led initiatives like the Arizona Broadband for Education Initiative aim to connect every school, at-home access remains the biggest challenge — particularly for homework, test prep and college applications.

Maricopa County's hidden gaps

Though Maricopa County leads Arizona in broadband coverage, pockets of significant need remain:

• Gila Bend: Only 66.7% of households are connected, with nearly 60% of low-income residents ($20,000 or less/year) lacking subscriptions.
• Guadalupe: Just 53% of households have internet access, in part due to cultural and economic barriers.
• South and West Phoenix: Infrastructure exists but affordability remains a key obstacle.
• Unincorporated and tribal lands: Lack of municipal oversight and geographic challenges make these areas difficult to serve.

Targeted interventions in these neighborhoods are underway, but progress depends on sustained funding and community-specific strategies.

"Digital access should be the great equalizer," Gross said. "But we’re seeing the same students left behind again and again, just because of where they live or how much their parents make."

Solutions in motion — but not fast enough

Gov. Katie Hobbs launched the Connect Arizona initiative (often branded as ConnectAllAZ) in 2023, leveraging nearly $1 billion in Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program funds. The goal: to ensure universal access, with a focus on K-12 students.

Programs like the Digital Education Connection Canopy — a partnership between Phoenix College and the Phoenix Union High School District — have already delivered free Wi-Fi to over 250,000 families across 13 districts. Phoenix Union High School District, Alhambra Elementary School District, Cartwright Elementary School District and Phoenix College are the first to benefit from this project. However, most of these gains still benefit urban areas.

Affordability and digital literacy continue to hinder broadband access. Only 62% of households earning less than $20,000 per year have adopted broadband, compared to 85% of those earning over $75,000. Racial disparities also persist: broadband adoption stands at 82% for Black households, compared to 90% for white households and 94% for Asian households — widening gaps in access to telehealth, remote education and digital job markets.

“Broadband is no longer a luxury — it’s a necessity,” said Hobbs in a press release. “And every Arizona student deserves that foundation."

Where Arizona goes from here

Arizona’s digital future hinges on local action paired with state coordination. Officials are prioritizing:

• Infrastructure investment: Expanding fiber and 5G deployment in high-need regions.
• Public-private partnerships: Incentivizing ISPs to serve rural and low-income zones.
• Affordability programs: Supporting families with subsidized plans and helping them navigate federal benefits.
• Community engagement: Collaborating with nonprofits, libraries and schools to identify access gaps and deliver tailored solutions.

As remote learning, telehealth and workforce development increasingly depend on digital access, the stakes are rising. Without broadband equity, opportunity itself is unevenly distributed.

"Educators have been sounding the alarm about the digital divide for a long time,” said Marisol Garcia, President of the Arizona Education Association. "For decades now, low-income students and those living on tribal or rural lands have struggled to do their homework and connect to the outside world without the high-speed internet that other families can take for granted. Investing in broadband is about investing in the limitless future that our kids deserve.”

With historic funding on the table and a clear map of where the needs are greatest, Arizona has an opportunity to create a digitally inclusive future. But closing the divide will require more than infrastructure — it will require community trust, equitable policy and continued public pressure to ensure that no student is left on the sidelines.

Editor’s note:  A grant from the Arizona Local News Foundation made this story possible. The foundation awarded 15 newsrooms to pay for solutions-focused education reporters for two years. Please send your comments to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.