Tobin proposes phone fee to pay for rural internet access

Regional News

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Arizona Corporation Commissioner Andy Tobin wants to increase internet access in rural schools and libraries by adding to a small fee paid by customers on their phone bills.

Tobin said his proposal heeds Gov. Doug Ducey’s call in his state of the state address to expand opportunities for all.

Ducey’s “step 10” for education funding, announced in his speech Monday, called for high-speed internet access for rural schools, coupled with a “statewide computer science and coding initiative.”

Tobin said that without access to high-speed internet, schools can’t support digital learning, including professional development, electronic books and online learning tools. While the problem could be happening in inner-city schools, he said, it’s largely a rural issue.

“Every Arizona student must be afforded the same opportunity to learn, including those who live on tribal lands, in some inner city areas, or in the most remote reaches of the state,” Tobin wrote in a letter announcing the proposal.

Tobin’s plan would use $8 million from the Arizona Universal Service Fund to set this goal into action. The fund has been in place for decades and is currently about 1 cent per month for phone customers, Tobin said. That would likely increase to raise the needed funds, but Tobin said it’s unclear how much it would be, saying it depends on what’s included in Ducey’s budget.