The Peaks and Valleys of Arizona Internet Coverage
FCC data updates from December 2023 to June 2024 show where internet speeds are rising...and where they are falling.
Understanding the Data
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) collects data from internet service providers (ISPs) about which locations they serve and the top speeds they offer. Download and upload speeds are key indicators of good coverage, measuring the speed of download and uploading information over a network in Megabits per second (Mbps). Most of Arizona, primarily rural areas with smaller populations, do not have coverage at all. In fact, 89% of the state lacks ISP-reported data. Gray areas in the map below do not have any provider-reported coverage.
Areas without coverage are generally inverse to urban areas since population determines where coverage is needed.
Urban areas without coverage (overlapping gray and orange areas on the map) are sometimes unserved broadband serviceable locations (BSLs). However, they could be undeveloped areas within the city, such as nature preserves, mountains, water bodies, or any other land type that is not broadband serviceable.
Areas in white, such as Gila Bend, are rural towns and suburbs with internet coverage.
Still, due to the vast undeveloped land in Arizona, 89% of the state lacks provider-reported coverage, and connectivity is sparsely scattered across rural communities.
For areas with reported data, we categorized the various types of coverage changes to highlight their prevalence throughout the state. We started by creating additional data fields to calculate the change in download and upload speeds over time, from December 2023 to June 2024. The maximum advertised speeds (in Mbps) in 2023 were subtracted from those in 2024. A positive value reflects an increase, a negative value reflects a decrease, and a value of 0 reflects no change in speeds. We then created six main categories:
- No Change: download and upload speeds stayed the same
- Increase: download and upload speeds increased or gained coverage
- Partial Increase: one speed metric increased while the other stayed the same
- Partial Decrease: one speed metric decreased while the other stayed the same
- Decrease: download and upload speeds decreased or lost coverage
- Complex: one speed metric increased while the other decreased
This story will take a deep dive into each of these categories.
These pie charts show the portion of Arizona land that experienced each type of coverage change over the time period (Dec 2023 - June 2024). The vast majority of Arizona did not experience a change in coverage. However, of those that did, the majority had increasing speeds.
This bar chart compares the portion of Arizona land that experienced each type of coverage change over multiple periods. Notably, the more recent period (shown in light blue) has a higher portion of Arizona land that experienced some type of change, whether positive or negative.
Where did download and upload speeds stay the same?
Of all Arizona locations with provider coverage, 78% experienced no change in that coverage.
These locations have not seen the results of broadband infrastructure projects (in this time period). However, the coverage they have has stayed consistent.
Where did download and upload speeds increase?
Increases account for 35% of the Arizona locations that experienced a change in coverage.
Efforts to improve broadband infrastructure have been successful in these locations, creating new coverage options for people to get connected.
Which locations gained coverage in 2024 (but did not have it in 2023)?
This subcategory of Increase accounts for 4% of the Arizona locations that experienced a change in coverage.
Construction efforts to expand infrastructure in these locations allow more households to get online, possibly for the first time.
Where did one of the speed metrics increase while the other stayed the same?
Partial increases account for 31% of the Arizona locations that experienced a change in coverage.
Efforts to improve broadband infrastructure have been somewhat successful in these locations, although high symmetrical speeds (download and upload) have likely not been achieved.
Where did one of the speed metrics decrease while the other stayed the same?
Partial decreases account for 17% of the Arizona locations that experienced a change in coverage.
In the midst of numerous efforts across the state to improve broadband, these locations are experiencing a fall in internet speeds. Why? Infrastructure that is aging or cannot keep up with increased user demand can slow down networks and limit what ISPs can offer, at least until the infrastructure is improved.
Where did download and upload speeds decrease?
Decreases account for 13% of the Arizona locations that experienced a change in coverage.
As in the last slide, these locations are experiencing a fall in internet speeds due to aging infrastructure and a combination of other reasons, including policies and demand.
Which locations lost coverage in 2024 (but had it in 2023)?
This subcategory of Decrease accounts for 7% of the Arizona locations that experienced a change in coverage.
Providers withdrew from these locations, possibly due to low profitability, a declining customer base, high maintenance costs, new regulations, damage, or barriers.
Notably, the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) ran out of funding during this period (in April 2024). As a result, 23 million Americans lost subsidies that helped them afford an internet subscription (read more from the National Digital Inclusion Alliance ).
Where did one of the speed metrics increase while the other decreased?
This type of complex change accounts for 4% of the Arizona locations that experienced a change in coverage.
Changes in infrastructure, provider policies, and user demand can create this complex situation. For example, providers can reallocate bandwidth to favor downloads, often in areas with more residential users ( learn more on LinkedIn ). And aging infrastructure may degrade one direction more than the other.
The map below represents all types of coverage changes. Use the Search tool (top left) or the Find My Location tool (bottom right) to explore how internet speeds have changed in your community.
Change in Fixed Broadband Speeds (FCC December 2023 through June 2024)
Looking for more insights?
The AZ-1 Arizona Broadband Map offers a deeper dive into current FCC broadband data and additional data layers, such as Ookla® speed tests, American Community Survey data, demographics, and more.
