Broadband infrastructure funding continues to close the digital divide in rural and underserved areas
(Jan. 15, 2025 — Marina, CA) — The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) approved $21,004,828 million in Last-Mile Federal Funding Account (FFA) grants on Thursday for four broadband expansion projects in communities across California. Those projects, in Monterey, Inyo, and Contra Costa counties, will deploy new fiber infrastructure and connect communities to the state’s broader open-access middle-mile network.
Among them is a $3,296,422 grant for the California Broadband Alliance’s Surfnet–Salinas project in Monterey County, which proposes to deploy approximately 23 miles of last-mile fiber to unserved locations in a high-fire-threat district, at symmetrical speeds up to 1 Gbps.
Monterey Bay Economic Partnership (MBEP), on behalf of the Central Coast Broadband Consortium (CCBC), submitted a letter of support for the project, which was also endorsed by the Western Growers Center for Innovation and Technology.
Four additional project applications are pending CPUC approval, potentially bringing a combined $48.3 million in California Advanced Services Fund (CASF) dollars for middle-mile and last-mile projects on the Central Coast and surrounding areas. Those projects include:
- Cruzio’s Equal Access Granite Creek (EAGC) Project requests $6,295,629.63 to target low-income, rural, and agricultural communities in mountainous areas and would deploy open-access middle mile and a 1Gbps last-mile connectivity to 70 unserved locations in Santa Cruz County that are currently unable to receive <25/3 Mbps. The project will make service available to dozens of anchor institutions and intersect with county-owned fiber. MBEP, on behalf of the CCBC, also advocated on behalf of Cruzio’s EAGC Project.
- Surfnet’s Central Coast Fiber Project requests $24,976,000 for last-mile fiber to the home across Monterey, Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, and San Luis Obispo counties. The project would serve 39 businesses, 1,051 priority-eligible locations and 1,012 households with symmetrical 1 Gbps service.
- Hankins Information Technology’s (HIT) South Bay Project requests $8,500,000 to bring last-mile fiber to 531 locations, including five businesses, anchor institutions, and public safety locations, in San Benito County and Watsonville
- Hankins Information Technology’s (HIT) West Marin Project requests $8,500,000 for last-mile fiber to 179 locations, including homes, businesses, anchor institutions, and public safety locations in Watsonville.
“Our region continues to make strides in closing the digital divide,” said Monterey Bay Economic Partnership President & CEO Tahra Goraya. “Connecting our rural and underserved communities to reliable, high-speed broadband boosts small business growth and job access, ensures that our rural communities have dependable emergency communications, and enables economic mobility.”
Since 2016, Monterey Bay Economic Partnership has led the charge to make high-speed internet a reality for all. We view broadband as essential infrastructure— vital to economic mobility, education, health equity, and digital inclusion. Through a focused strategy of Infrastructure, access, and awareness, MBEP has advanced regional solutions as executive director for the Central Coast Broadband Consortium (CCBC) and founding executive director of the South Salinas Valley Broadband Authority (SSVBA). MBEP has secured over $73 million in broadband infrastructure funding for rural and underserved communities in the Monterey Bay region and prioritized 33,000+ unserved residents in state and federal broadband funding pipelines through strategic advocacy and mapping.
About Monterey Bay Economic Partnership (MBEP): Monterey Bay Economic Partnership (MBEP) is a regional member-supported nonprofit organization consisting of public, private, and civic entities located throughout the counties of Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz. Founded in 2015, our mission is to improve the economic health and quality of life in the region.