Local News

Town of Tusayan/Grand Canyon School District Closer To High Speed Internet

May 14, 2019

 High speed internet for Tusayan residents is imminent. At May’s Town Council meeting Town Manager Eric Duthie indicated the service could be available by the end of May if not sooner. 


The system is set to handle as many as 175 users. Tusayan is spending about $68,000 a year to make high speed available to its residents. The cost per subscriber is about $30 a month. The number of users can increase is needed. Tusayan is using a microwave system until a fiber optic system becomes available through the Grand Canyon School District. 

To that end, Grand Canyon School Superintendent Dr. Shonny Bria is determined to get fiber optic high speed internet to her students. She hopes to have that done by June of 2020 thanks to a combination of state and federal grants which total about six million dollars.

Dr. Bria recently told the Tusayan Town Council there are still permits needed from APS and the Williams Railroad with respect to running the fiber optic cable from Williams to the school. But she is confident she can clear those hurdles. “I think the road will be cleared one way or another,” Bria said.

The lack of reliable internet continues to cause problems for the district. Students have been taking the AZ Merit tests with paper and pencil as opposed to online. They are also forced to take the test early.

Next school year the paper and pencil option will no longer be available meaning Grand Canyon School District students may have to travel to another location to take the test on line.

Dr. Bria is trying to get temporary microwave internet service next year to keep that from happening.