Cox fights municipal private wireless in Tucson

Tucson, Arizona has built a private wireless network to provide broadband to low-income households for free. Cox Communications is challenging the network and trying to persuade them to hire Cox for broadband expansion in the city. Tucson originally set up its own private wireless network during the early days of the pandemic because it realized children in low-income areas did not have access to high-speed broadband to do their homework. According to city council member Steve Kozachik, the city has spent about $4.3 million for the network and is serving broadband to about 1,000 households. It is considering expanding this private wireless network and possibly pursuing some smart city initiatives. Kozachik said he’s happy to hear what Cox has to offer, and he’s even invited Cox representatives to city council meetings. However, he also said the company uses a lot of ambiguous language, making it unclear exactly what broadband speeds it offers and which low-income areas it’s willing to upgrade or expand to. Aside from the 1,000 homes in poor neighborhoods that Tucson is serving with private wireless, Cox seems concerned about the city expanding into other areas of Tucson and introducing competition.