CPUC Invests More Than $20 Million in Broadband Infrastructure and Access for Unserved California Households
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) today approved more than $11 million in grant funding to build high-speed broadband Internet infrastructure and access for unserved Californians under the California Advanced Services Fund (CASF).
These grants make significant contributions toward meeting the goal of Assembly Bill 1665 to provide high-speed Internet service to 98 percent of California households in each CASF consortia region in order to promote economic growth, job creation, and the substantial social benefits of advanced information and communications technologies. Collectively, the grants—primarily for fiberoptic infrastructure investments—will provide high-speed Internet service to 740 unserved households and new housing units.
The grants were awarded to:
- Race Telecommunications for the Gigafy Williams Project in the amount of $7,603,656.30 (Resolution T-17716).
- Plumas Sierra Telecommunications for the Scott Road Project in the amount of $3,707,475 (Resolution T-17712).
- Integrity Housing for two projects, the Stony Point Flats Development and the Dutton Flats Development, in the amount of $112,100 (Resolution T-17718), from the CASF Broadband Public Housing Account.
“Today we made progress toward connecting more California households with high-speed broadband, which we know is needed now more than ever,” said Commissioner Martha Guzman Aceves. “The CPUC continues our commitment to finding solutions to connect as many households as we can—especially in unserved communities—in the most expedient way possible.”
In November, the CASF provided grants to help five Tribes with technical assistance with broadband. The Big Valley Rancheria of Pomo Indians of California, Karuk Tribe, Lone Pine Paiute Shoshone Tribe, Middletown Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians, and Yurok Tribe received $538,000 in grants to conduct broadband technical and market studies, feasibility studies, and/or business plans, which are critical stages of broadband deployment in pursuing improved communications.
Additionally, on November 3, 2020, the CPUC approved nine CASF infrastructure projects by ministerial review in the amount of up to $8,738,007.87 to Charter Communications. The approved projects will deploy last-mile coaxial and fiber infrastructure to enable broadband access to a total of 1,833 unserved households in Southern California mobile home parks.
The CASF is funded through a surcharge on revenues collected by telecommunications carriers from end-users for intrastate telecommunications services.
Details about the approved projects can be found at: www.cpuc.ca.gov/General.aspx?id=8246 and www.cpuc.ca.gov/General.aspx?id=6442458629.
More information on the CASF program is available at www.cpuc.ca.gov/casf.
The CPUC regulates services and utilities, safeguards the environment, and assures Californians’ access to safe and reliable utility infrastructure and services. For more information on the CPUC, please visit www.cpuc.ca.gov.
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