John Edwards and Cindy Steinman

The northeastern corner of Arizona, home of the Navajo Reservation, is one of the world's most desolate spots. Endless miles of sand, rock and scrub are interrupted only briefly by sparse human settlements. Broadband access? High-speed links are about as abundant as flowing water in this rugged desert country. Even the telephone infrastructure has remained largely untouched since lines were first strung in the 1930s and '40s.