Last Mile Federal Funding Account
Background
The Federal Funding Account, established by the CPUC according to Senate Bill 156, will fund last mile broadband infrastructure projects to connect unserved and underserved Californians with high-speed broadband service. The Federal Funding Account has a $2 billion budget made up of state and federal funds. Projects built using the federal American Rescue Plan Act funds must be built by 2027. Read this Broadband Investments Package fact sheet for more information on the last mile broadband funding.
Federal Funding Account Rules and Guidelines
Entities interested in applying should familiarize themselves with the following.
- Decision 22-04-055 and Appendix A: The decision sets the Federal Funding Account rules and guidelines.
The CPUC will announce the application and challenge process deadlines in the third quarter of 2022. Updates will appear on this webpage and be noticed on the Broadband Deployment proceeding (R.20-09-001) and the California Advanced Services Fund (CASF) proceeding (R.20-08-021).
Preview Information about Proposed Funding Areas
The CPUC is preparing the publication of priority areas for funding (proposed funding areas), which are a subset of the eligible unserved areas. There will only be one grantee for each of the proposed funding areas.
Proposed funding areas and digital equity information will be shown on a public map and potential applicants can register to access more detailed information. The registered users map will show available funding areas (by census block), business case information, and other information, such as the number of unserved locations. There will be multiple proposed funding areas within county boundaries.
Applicants will be able to select a proposed funding area (or multiple areas) for their grant application. A tool will be available on the map to allow applicants to add to or subtract from a selected proposed funding area (e.g., an applicant can use the tool to add a partial eligible area as part of the selected proposed funding area). Please note that applications which have additions to or subtractions from a proposed funding area are not available for ministerial review.
Resources
- The Broadband Factors for Last Mile Connectivity report presents considerations based on best practices and industry standards regarding network design and technical criteria for last mile providers interconnecting with middle-mile networks. The analysis includes considerations from the public comments filed with the CPUC on middle-mile locations and network characteristics.
- Webinar: Last Mile Broadband - CPUC Funding Programs to Close the Digital Divide | Recording | Presentation
- California Annual Collected Broadband Data
- California Broadband Data Dashboard Visualization
Contact Us
Email questions about the Last Mile Federal Funding Account to statewidebroadband@cpuc.ca.gov.
