(Center Square) – Mojave County community accelerates plans to expand high-speed fiber internet access through new private investment, providing residents of rural Arizona with faster connections than those living in the heart of the valley. become.
Kingman-based Wycombe announced Monday a new acquisition from Searchlight Capital Partners to improve digital infrastructure in rural Arizona. The new funding is expected to provide hundreds of thousands of households with the fastest internet speeds in the country.
A Wecombe spokeswoman said the private equity firm was ready to invest “hundreds of millions of dollars” in rural Arizona.
Faster internet speeds mean work-from-home opportunities for residents otherwise unavailable. Rural students suffered disproportionately during the COVID-19 pandemic after schools moved to online learning, and those without broadband access were at a disadvantage. With the spread of telemedicine, her access to broadband also means greater access to healthcare for residents who already live miles away from the nearest clinic.
“Hundreds of thousands of rural households and businesses in Arizona do not have equal access to high-speed Internet services,” said Darren Gratt, Partner and Head of Digital Infrastructure at Searchlight. “Wecom’s long track record of providing reliable, best-in-class service to Arizona communities for more than 60 years makes him the perfect partner to help bridge the digital divide in the state.”
Wycombe originally received a $10 million broadband development grant from the state in July 2022 to expand high-speed broadband in Mojave County.
“Mojave County is leading the state in providing broadband internet to rural residents, and our partnership with Wecom is making that happen,” said Gene Bishop, Mojave County Superintendent. “Wecom and Searchlight are excited to continue expanding here to bring fast, affordable and reliable internet to other Arizona counties with internet needs.”
The expansion of the company’s textile business will also be extended to the Hualapai with support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. reconnect forgive.
“Investing in quality broadband infrastructure to bridge the digital divide is central to Searchlight’s investment strategy,” said Ajit Pai, former Federal Trade Commission chairman and Searchlight partner. rice field. “Today, Searchlight is the largest investor in residential fiber in the United States. Fiber broadband provides communities with more than just Internet access. It provides consumers with a gateway to the 21st century digital economy.” and benefit from telemedicine and distance education.” , access to jobs, improved emergency services, and more. “
