How to Take the Pima County Broadband Survey (Aired 2026-4-9)
April 9, 2026·11 min
1. This is a radio interview segment from Community Podcasts, aired April 9, 2026, featuring Michelle Simon, Director of the Pima County Office of Digital Inclusion.
2. Simon's office focuses on three areas: connecting residents to affordable, reliable high-speed internet; digital skills training; and providing access to low-cost devices.
3. The broadband survey discussed in the interview was funded through a USDA Rural Utility Services broadband technical assistance grant covering Pima and Santa Cruz counties.
4. Simon explains that the survey is designed to give both counties direct data from residents about whether internet service works well, is affordable, and meets their actual needs.
5. Pima County covers 9,100 square miles, with the furthest western point being Ajo, approximately two and a half hours from Tucson.
6. Communities identified with significant broadband problems on the west side include Ajo and areas before the Tohono O'odham Nation such as Three Points, which is about 25 minutes from Tucson.
7. Eastern and southeastern problem areas include J6 Ranch, Reddington Pass, Sycamore Springs, Corona de Tucson, Arivaca, Arivaca Junction, and Sasabe.
8. Simon distinguishes between two types of broadband problems: areas where adequate service does not physically exist, and areas where service is technically available but too expensive for families to maintain month-to-month.
9. Rural businesses without adequate internet may be forced to rely on satellite internet, which Simon describes as a very expensive monthly cost that limits their ability to conduct e-commerce.
10. Real-life impact examples provided include students unable to complete homework, parents unable to work reliably from home or access telehealth appointments, and small businesses unable to process payments or reach customers online.
11. During the COVID pandemic, families in rural areas drove to school district parking lots and library parking lots to access Wi-Fi for children's schoolwork.
12. Simon notes that while the parking-lot Wi-Fi workaround is less common today, it still occurs in communities like Three Points, Arivaca, and Sasabe.
13. The survey is designed to translate resident feedback into actionable data that can guide internet service providers and both county governments on where to expand coverage.
14. Simon emphasizes that residents living with poor internet access have direct knowledge of the problems that data analysis alone cannot capture.
15. The stated success outcome of the project is reliable home internet for more families, uninterrupted school connectivity for students, and improved access to jobs, education, and healthcare in rural communities.
16. The survey includes a laptop giveaway incentive, which Simon says helps bring more people into the conversation, particularly because the device has practical value for recipients.
17. The survey link is hosted on the Connect Pima website at pima.gov/ConnectPima, with the survey prominently featured on the main page.
18. The interview is conducted as a standard Q and A with a host asking prepared questions and Simon responding with policy context and community examples.
19. Residents of Pima County's rural communities, particularly those experiencing unreliable or unaffordable internet service, are the intended audience for this segment.
20. Listeners unfamiliar with Pima County geography or not living in southern Arizona will find most of the specific community references inaccessible.
