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HOLBROOK — Navajo County recently put the finishing touches on an ambitious plea for $25 million in federal funding to improve broadband speed and reliability in the southern reaches of the county.
Meanwhile, Arizona Sens. Kyrsten Sinema and Mark Kelly announced nearly $1 billion in federal grants to improve broadband coverage on reservation – including the sprawling Navajo Reservation covering northern Navajo and Apache counties.
The twin announcements represent solid progress in efforts by Navajo County to lay the groundwork for a fast and reliable internet network, which economic development officials see as the key to the region’s economic future. Navajo County recently hired a consultant to come up with a broadband master plan that would extend coverage to isolated communities and eliminate the slow speeds and frequent, prolonged outages that have plagued the current system…