The California Public Utilities Commission has recommended seven entities for a total of $91 million in grants to cover some of the costs of constructing last mile broadband infrastructure. The commission is expected to vote on whether to approve the awards next month. Most of the funding is projected to go to cities and counties.
Local broadband provider Hankins Information Technology has been recommended for a $10.4 million grant. Surfnet, a local provider, has been the applicant for three awards totaling over $4.4 million. The funding would go to the California Broadband Alliance, a nonprofit organization working on broadband for California’s central coast.
California broadband infrastructure grants
If approved, the alliance will own the network, while Surfnet will handle construction, lease access to the network from the alliance, and maintain the network for 10 years. All potential awardees plan to deploy fiber broadband.
A complete list of recommended California broadband awardees is as follows:
City of Fort Bragg
City of Ukiah
County of Marin
Hankins Information Technology
Round Valley Indian Tribes
The funding for these awards would come through the Last Mile Funding Account Grant Program, which has a total budget of $2 billion. So far, $435 million has already been awarded. The state expects to cover 70% to 100% of the costs for all the California broadband projects.
More than $4.6 billion has been requested through the program, according to the PUC. The approval of these grants next month could mark a significant step forward in enhancing broadband infrastructure across California, with a mix of city, county, and local providers being involved in the roll-out of fiber broadband.
