Arizona Broadband Workshops
As part of Arizona’s continued prioritization of broadband initiatives to enhance rural connectivity, the Arizona Commerce Authority is proud to announce a new partnership with BroadbandUSA, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and Economic Development Administration (EDA) to launch a new webinar series — the Arizona Broadband Workshops.
Sessions will be offered on the first Wednesday of every month from 10 am to 12 pm, March through July. Through interactive exercises and discussions, city officials, economic developers and business leaders who attend will be connected with resources to build a roadmap for planning projects, including identifying funding opportunities and service providers.
Past Webinar Recordings
BROADBAND 101 – BROADBAND AS A FOUNDATION TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
10 a.m. - 12 p.m., Wednesday, March 3 on Zoom
Join us for the first session in the Arizona Broadband Workshop series, featuring a variety of experts from the Governor's Office on Tribal Relations, BroadbandUSA and local experts. Learn about broadband terms, networks, and speed, and hear from others in your community about how broadband is transforming education, healthcare, agriculture and our economy. Then roll up your sleeves and complete exercises to help you identify the priorities that impact broadband in your community.
Speakers
- Jeff Sobotka, Vice President & State Broadband Director, Arizona Commerce Authority
- Scott Woods, Manager, Technical Assistance, BroadbandUSA, NTIA
- Don Williams, Senior Broadband Development Specialist, BroadbandUSA, NTIA
- Karen Archer Perry, Senior Policy Analyst, BroadbandUSA, NTIA
Creating Broadband Action Teams and Building Local Partnerships
10 a.m. - 12 p.m., Wednesday, April 7 on Zoom
Arizona has worked collaboratively with public and private partners to coordinate broadband planning across the state. In this session, learn how to create a roadmap for your community’s broadband projects as you build a framework for community priorities, stakeholder engagement, asset inventories and more.
USING DATA AS A FOUNDATION FOR YOUR BROADBAND PLAN
10 a.m. - 12 p.m., Wednesday, May 5 on Zoom
Open public data is readily available to jumpstart your broadband planning efforts. The key is understanding how to use the data effectively to tell your community story. Experts from BroadbandUSA will review the three main broadband data sets and demonstrate tools that you’ll be able to use to access the data for planning, business cases, partnership development, and grant applications.
FEDERAL RESOURCES AND LOCAL SUPPORT FOR BROADBAND
10 a.m. - 12 p.m., Wednesday, June 2 on Zoom
Broadband projects often require a mix of investment sources. Our panel of experts will highlight some of the Federal, State, local, and philanthropic programs that could be available to support broadband infrastructure and digital inclusion programs.
PLEASE NOTE THIS SESSION IS SPECIFIC TO TRIBAL COMMUNITIES AND REGISTRATION IS by INVITation ONLY.
TRIBAL BROADBAND
10 a.m. - 12 p.m., Wednesday, June 9 on Zoom
Arizona is prioritizing critical broadband projects in underserved tribal locations across the state. In this session, the Kristine FireThunder, director of the Governor’s Office on Tribal Relations, will facilitate a discussion on strategies to build tribally-owned networks and further support tribal learning centers and digital training, including information on available financing and funding, community resources and more.
Speaker
- Kristine FireThunder, Director, Governor’s Office on Tribal Relations
BROADBAND ADOPTION AND USE - THE SECRET TO SUSTAINABLE NETWORKS
10 a.m. - 12 p.m., Wednesday, July 14 on Zoom
This session will draw from national and local models to explore new ways to bridge the digital divide and dive deep on topics such as: digital skills training, WiFi hotspots, broadband subsidies and tech mentoring. Practitioners in education, nonprofits and more will facilitate exercises to identify your community’s underserved segments and partners to reach those populations.
AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN FUNDING OPPORTUNITY
10 a.m. - 11 a.m., Wednesday, August 11 on Zoom
The Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA), in partnership with the Economic Development Administration (EDA), invite you to an Arizona Broadband Technical Assistance Webinar. This session focuses on funding available through a series of six American Rescue Plan Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFOs). You’ll learn how these grants could apply to transformational broadband investments and other foundational infrastructure projects.