PHOENIX, AZ (May 6, 2025) – Business Facilities magazine recently announced Arizona as a winner of its Economic Development Organization (EDO) Awards, marking the third year in a row that Arizona has been recognized for innovative economic development initiatives.

Arizona was selected as one of 10 state winners for ConnectAllAZ, an initiative that furthers Arizona’s broadband expansion efforts to connect 100 percent of Arizona households by 2030. The EDO awards recognize economic development organizations’ efforts to grow their communities through “initiatives and programs that are delivering results toward workforce development, job creation, rural economic development, quality of life, and more.”

“Arizona’s broadband expansion programs will help bridge the digital divide, increase access to education and healthcare, and foster entrepreneurship and career pathways,” said Governor Katie Hobbs. “The state’s broadband efforts will connect thousands of Arizonans and ensure residents in every community can succeed in today’s digital economy. I’m grateful to the Arizona Commerce Authority and the many local, state, and federal partners for their continued support to connect all Arizonans to reliable broadband.”

“Broadband connectivity is closely linked with economic opportunity and fuels economic growth, especially in rural communities,” said Sandra Watson, President and CEO of the Arizona Commerce Authority. “We’re grateful to Governor Hobbs for her leadership and all of our partners as we continue to advance broadband in all corners of our state.”

ConnectAllAZ, an initiative launched by Governor Hobbs in 2024, aims to accelerate broadband expansion efforts to unserved and underserved areas of Arizona, which includes more than $1 billion in funding. This initiative includes broadband programs including the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program, Arizona Broadband Development Grant, Arizona Statewide Middle-Mile Strategic Plan, Digital Equity Plan, and Arizona Rural Broadband Development Grant, and others.

In addition, ConnectAllAZ provides Arizona residents information about all state broadband programs, community engagement opportunities, resources, and features the Arizona State Broadband Map, a tool that visually identifies unserved and underserved communities and shows internet access for every address across the state.

Business Facilities recognized Arizona in its EDO Awards last year for the Future48 Workforce Accelerators. Launched in partnership with local community colleges to build and establish advanced manufacturing training facilities across the state, the Future48 network includes training centers in Coolidge, Apache Junction, Yuma, Kingman, Phoenix and Mesa.

Read more about Business Facilities’ EDO Awards HERE.

Background on Arizona’s broadband expansion efforts

In 2021, the ACA launched the Arizona Broadband Development Grant Program (ABDG), which received $100 million in funding. Following a competitive selection process, the ACA selected 18 projects across the state, enabling 3,000 miles of fiber network once completed, with expected benefits to more than 711,000 residents.

Next, the ACA developed and launched the Arizona Broadband Statewide Middle-Mile Strategic Plan to support broadband expansion efforts along Interstate 17, Interstate 19 and Interstate 40. The strategy incorporates projects funded through ABDG as well as other significant last-mile initiatives to create “Broadband Corridors” along Arizona highways for the installation of fiber optic conduit.

Media Contact
Alyssa Tufts, Arizona Commerce Authority, [email protected]

About the Arizona Commerce Authority

The Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA) is the state's leading economic development organization with a streamlined mission to grow and strengthen Arizona's economy. The ACA uses a three-pronged approach to advance the overall economy: attract, expand, create - attract out-of-state companies to establish operations in Arizona; work with existing companies to expand their business in Arizona and beyond; and help entrepreneurs create new Arizona businesses in targeted industries. For more information, please visit azcommerce.com and follow the ACA on X @azcommerce.