Yuma County contains approximately 190k+ acres of cropland which is approximately 94% irrigated. Agriculture is a $3.2 billion business annually, employing tens of thousands of workers. Yuma County is ranked in the top 1/10th of one percent of all U.S. counties in various measures of agricultural production. With an average of just over three inches of rain a year, the Colorado River 4 running through the region is responsible for Yuma's rich soil due to its millions of years of deposited sediments. As agriculture technology rapidly evolves with remote sensing, automation and mechanization, Yuma County is a prime location for technology development that can only happen with reliable broadband service across all agricultural areas of the county. The desert agriculture industry can flourish and grow even in times of pandemic, climate change, and water scarcity with new AgTech tools that ensure both food safety and crop productivity. A new, more technically savvy, and highly paid workforce will be needed, creating an innovative and entrepreneurial ecosystem that will increase economic growth and private investment. As Yuma County implements broadband and AgTech in the region, there will also be a focus on upskilling the local labor force. A hybrid infrastructure design will be installed and connected as part of the Yuma County middlemile broadband network. Farms in all 6 Ag irrigation districts will have access to field level broadband access (complete coverage may require additional funding, which will be sought through grant programs). Fiber to the tower for wireless service to agricultural areas where fiber to the premise is not feasible or is cost-prohibitive is an extended vision of advancement of the middle mile dark fiber backbone design.
