The California Public Utilities Commission has approved more than $33.2 million in grant funding to expand high-speed internet access to nearly 1,300 unserved homes and businesses across five Central Coast counties, including Santa Clara County.
The commission voted July 16 to award up to $33,197,090 to Surfnet Communications through the California Advanced Services Fund Infrastructure Funding Account, says a press release from the Monterey Bay Economic Partnership. The funding will support the Central Coast Fiber Broadband and Santa Barbara Fiber projects, bringing broadband service to 1,293 unserved locations in Santa Clara, Monterey, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz and San Luis Obispo counties.
MBEP, which leads the Central Coast Broadband Consortium, supported the grant applications and regional planning efforts.
“In a digital age, affordable and reliable broadband infrastructure is an essential public safety component and an economic necessity,” MBEP President and CEO Tahra Goraya said in a statement. “MBEP supports the advancement of solutions to narrow the digital divide and ensure that high-speed internet is accessible to everyone in our region.”
MBEP officials said they worked with Surfnet Communications throughout the grant process by providing data analysis, technical expertise, geographic information system mapping, project planning and application support.
The organization also coordinated regional partnerships and community outreach to strengthen the proposals and will continue assisting with project implementation and reporting.
According to MBEP, the CPUC received nearly two dozen letters supporting the Central Coast Fiber Broadband Project from elected officials, residents and organizations throughout the region, including the Central Coast Broadband Consortium.
The California Advanced Services Fund provides grants to expand broadband infrastructure in underserved and unserved communities throughout the state.
