By Jon Johnson/Gila Herald
PIMA — High-speed fiber optic internet service is officially making its way to the Town of Pima.
During its regular meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 8, the Pima Town Council unanimously approved a resolution authorizing a franchise agreement with Valley Telecom Group. The agreement formally gives the telecommunications provider the right to operate within town limits as it expands its regional fiber optic network.
Under the agreement, Valley Telecom will pay the town a 2% franchise fee on its local services—matching the existing franchise agreements Pima maintains with Graham County Electric Cooperative (GCEC) and Southwest Gas. Pima is not required to provide any municipal infrastructure or funding for the buildout.
Leveraging Grant-Funded Regional Expansion
Valley Telecom’s movement into Pima comes as a direct extension of a $5.5 million broadband project funded primarily by a $4.8 million grant from the Arizona Commerce Authority’s Arizona Broadband Department, along with $250,000 from Graham County and $464,000 from Valley Telecom.
While the grant was originally awarded to connect previously unserved rural areas in Eden, Bryce, and Fort Thomas, the main fiber line must run through Pima to reach those communities. Valley Telecom is aggressively leveraging that main line to bring high-speed connections directly to Pima homes, businesses, and municipal facilities.
“They came through the town of Pima to get to those communities, but they were very excited to be coming through… so that they could then serve the town of Pima,” Town Manager Vernon Batty said. “In my mind, that was always kind of down the road, but they seem pretty aggressive and really excited to start serving the town of Pima.”
Routing Plans and Initial Service Targets
Rather than disrupting traffic along the main Highway 70 corridor, Valley Telecom plans to route its primary lines along the streets parallel to the highway—running down 100 North to avoid highway access complications.
From these main arteries, crews can branch north and south into surrounding neighborhoods.
Key Infrastructure & Facility Highlights:
- Tower Integration: Valley Telecom plans to utilize the tower located above Pima to deploy Tarana-based fixed wireless technology, enabling immediate wider coverage and delivering fiber-like speeds up to 500 Mbps to outlying areas.
- Municipal Facilities: Initial direct fiber connections will prioritize key public sites, including Pima Town Hall, the Pima Volunteer Fire Department, the Pima Public Library, and the Pima Pool.
- Local Schools: Direct routing will extend high-speed connectivity to local public schools to bolster educational digital resources.
- Residential & Business Expansion: Once core arterial lines and public facilities are connected, Valley Telecom will evaluate and roll out fiber-to-the-home and business connections across the rest of the municipality.
