A decade in the making: Sun Corridor Network and ADOT partner to speed up broadband deployment
Partnership helps Arizona’s research and education network find its fastest lane yet
When it comes to expanding broadband across Arizona’s vast and rugged landscapes, one thing is clear: the fastest path to better connectivity is often the one already paved.
This idea has driven a newly formalized partnership between Sun Corridor Network (SCN) and the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) — a collaboration that gives SCN dedicated access to fiber running alongside Arizona’s Interstate highways.
This agreement provides SCN with exclusive use of 24 strands of fiber, plus equipment space in ADOT’s network buildings along Interstate 17, Interstate 19, and Interstate 40. It’s a major win for Arizona’s research and education community, with further impacts on rural telehealth access, K-12 education, economic development, and scientific research.
How it all started
The groundwork for this partnership was laid over ten years ago at an SCN-hosted broadband summit in Flagstaff in 2014. The event was created to bring attention to the lack of high-speed internet in Northern Arizona. Though ADOT wasn’t present, the message made its way to state leaders.
“We were drawing attention to the lack of fiber and the lack of broadband resources, particularly in Northern Arizona,” Derek Masseth, executive director of SCN, recalled. “That brought a lot of high-level attention to this notion that these communities were without access.”
From there, the partnership developed slowly but intentionally, gaining momentum after COVID-19 laid bare the consequences of leaving rural communities disconnected. With strong support from former Arizona Governor Doug Ducey’s office, including advisor Ben Blink, who oversaw both transportation and innovation, ADOT found its on-ramp to broadband expansion.
“He began to spearhead this effort and brought us in very, very early to essentially expand ADOT’s rights of way on the interstate system to include the introduction of basically data transportation as an element of commerce,” Masseth said.
Working closely with ADOT, SCN even contributed to drafting the legislation that now allows ADOT to install conduit and fiber within highway rights of way, or the publicly accessible land around roadways, and to make excess fiber available for commercial broadband providers to reach rural areas.
Why use highways to close the digital divide?
Transportation corridors have vast potential for broadband integration, especially in Arizona. As a state with challenging terrain and widespread rural populations, highways provide a practical way to route broadband in hard-to-reach places. It’s an efficient and cost-effective means to use existing infrastructure for public benefit.
It’s also an uncommon approach. This type of collaboration between a transportation department and a research and education network is rare, and proof of Arizona’s leadership in creative infrastructure deployment. It aligns with ADOT’s many efforts to continually modernize roadways, including the integration of “smart road” technologies and intelligent transportation systems.
Leveraging highway systems for broadband is also a logical choice for reaching as many communities as possible, as 95% of underserved Arizonans live within five miles of an interstate. This makes the highway system an invaluable asset for efficiently delivering broadband to communities that lack access.
That kind of practical, high-leverage solution is exactly what makes the partnership so compelling, saidLev Gonick, Chief Information Officer atArizona State University.
“Sometimes the best innovation is recognizing the power of what’s already there,” Gonick said. “This partnership is about using our existing infrastructure — roads that already connect communities — to now connect opportunity. It’s a smart, simple idea that will have a lasting impact on education, healthcare, and the everyday lives of Arizonans.”
The community impacts of broadband expansion
The finalized agreement between SCN and ADOT creates a direct — and literal — route to stronger connectivity for Arizona’s research and education institutions.
For Northern Arizona University (NAU), this means researchers will have “fast lane access” to the major data centers in Phoenix. That type of high-speed connection is essential for modern research and education, which requires transferring enormous datasets between institutions.
And for rural K-12 schools, libraries, healthcare providers, and local governments, the expansion means they can tap into an upgraded network.
Students can connect with online learning opportunities like college or dual enrollment, residents can get telehealth access in locations far from a doctor’s office, or local job seekers can find opportunities for remote work and remain in their communities, for a few examples. It’s a big advantage, especially for areas that lack the luxury of Phoenix’s booming job market and big city amenities.
“We’re pleased to assist this initiative to expand broadband internet access and connect residents with educational opportunities, telemedicine and much more,” ADOT Broadband Program Administrator Brad Burgess said.
Steven Burrell, Vice President for IT and Chief Information Officer at Northern Arizona University, agrees.
“The partnership with ADOT is transformative to connecting Arizona families to education, health care, and government resources, stimulating new economic opportunities, and creating deeper resilience, particularly for our rural communities,” he says.
The path ahead
With fiber in place, SCN is now preparing for the activation phase, which involves bringing the network fully online.
“The next step is to buy electronics to serve universities and schools with the network,” Masseth explained. “But we now have the full green light to do that and to install our network on those fibers.”
Once operational, the expanded network will help bridge long-standing gaps in digital access, supporting education, healthcare, and economic growth across Arizona’s rural and underserved communities.
It’s been a long road to this moment, Masseth says, but it was worth it. “It’s a win. Like, a big win.”