Governor Signs AgTech Laws, Unveils Yuma Agricultural Broadband Tower

Governor Katie Hobbs on Wednesday joined local officials in Yuma to sign two pieces of legislation, SB 1320 and SB 1661, and to dedicate Yuma County's first agricultural broadband tower. The event marked the ceremonial launch of a county led build out that will install a network of 34 broadband towers aimed at connecting farms, research sites, and water users to high speed internet.

County and state leaders unveiled the first of the planned towers at the ceremony. The project carries a price tag of more than six million dollars and is expected to be completed by August 2026. When finished, the network will cover roughly 160,000 acres of farmland within Yuma County. Officials said the broadband network will be restricted to growers, water users, and agricultural research only.

The effort is being billed as the first program of its kind in the state and the nation, and local leaders framed the rollout as a step toward modernizing agricultural practice across the region. Yuma County Supervisor Jonathan Lines said the project will "help define the future of agriculture" and "reshape how farming operates through advanced technology and connectivity." Those aims reflect broader interest in precision agriculture tools that depend on reliable data links, such as remote sensing, automated equipment, and sensors that optimize water use.

Local growers demonstrated some of those tools at the dedication. Representatives from JV Farms displayed drone operations and an automated tractor system to show how connectivity can change daily work on the land. JV Farms drone pilot Trevor Adams described a frequent operational barrier, saying "A lot of times we’re out in fields that don't have signals, and we have to relocate in order to connect and be able to use our drones, and we’re using them on a daily basis." For operators who already use remote equipment, a dependable signal can cut time, reduce labor demands, and allow closer monitoring of crop and soil conditions.

For Yuma County residents the new network could mean more efficient water management and enhanced research partnerships with universities and private industry. Restricting the network to agricultural uses is intended to prioritize farm needs and protect bandwidth for precision tools. At the same time, the project raises questions about governance of rural networks, data management, and long term maintenance that local officials will need to address as the build out progresses.

As construction moves forward over the next nine months, growers and public agencies will be watching for how the towers translate into everyday benefits in fields and canals. With state legislation backing technology and connectivity in agriculture, Yuma is positioning itself as a test case for how rural communities might combine public investment and research to support the next wave of farm innovation.