Recently, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) announced $7 million in funding for three rural broadband projects under the California Advanced Services Fund (CASF) Broadband Infrastructure Grant Account.
Let’s read the news and find out more.
California awards funding to three rural broadband projects
The CASF Infrastructure Grant Account was established in 2008 and has since disbursed more than $305 million in grants, enabling the growth of broadband infrastructure in previously unserved areas of the state.
This program is critical to CPUC-managed initiatives that address broadband adoption, affordability, support and deployment.
Through the California Advanced Services Fund (CASF) Broadband Infrastructure Grant Account, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) announced approximately $7 million in funding for three projects.
The Equal Access to the Sea Summits project is by far the largest grant announced with up to $5.65 million, which will be awarded to Cruzio Media Inc. to build a mid- and late-stage network mile and bring high-speed broadband to underserved homes in Monterey, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties.
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James Hackett, COO of Cruzio Media, said: “The Summits to the Sea project serves rural, agricultural and low-income communities flanked by mountainous areas.
Hackett added: “Not far to the east are the rich, tech-saturated cities of Silicon Valley. It is difficult to imagine a greater technical contrast, a greater digital divide. Fiber optic broadband infrastructure poses a particularly complex challenge. The inability of residents to participate in the region’s dominant industry leads to economic hardship and social division. The Summits to the Sea project responds to this serious situation.
The Mobile Home Park 1 project received the second highest grant amount. Up to $889,083 will be awarded to Kwikbit Internet, Inc. to establish a fixed wireless access network and provide Internet to 197 underserved homes in manufactured home parks in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Diego.
Finally, Anza Electric Cooperative, Inc. will receive $688,431 for the ConnectAnza Phase Three project to build 3.74 linear miles of fiber on existing poles as part of an FTTH project to help communities in the San Jacinto Mountains to obtain broadband access.
Shawn Trento, Director of Telecommunications at Anza, said: “This grant will enable the construction of a fiber optic network to serve 28 CASF-eligible priority homes and businesses in a rural and remote area that has been plagued in the past by forest fires and floods. »
Trento added, “Access to fast and reliable internet access will increase residents’ access to employment, education and entertainment resources, as well as increase public safety in the region. We appreciate the CPUC’s partnership and the opportunities provided by the CASF program to expand Internet access to all Californians.
In November of last year, the state of California announced that 484 requests totaling $4.6 billion, more than double the budgeted amount, had been received for its federal funding account.
Commissioner Darcie L. Houck said, “I am pleased to support these CASF grants that will provide more than $7 million to expand high-speed Internet service for low-income households and businesses in unserved and underserved areas. of our state.
“These awards will help address challenges related to broadband availability and affordability by supporting infrastructure grants that will bring essential broadband services to some of California’s most vulnerable customers.
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