California

Amplifying Investment through Community Platforms

Using Digital Equity and Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) planning funds, California engaged with over 50,000 California residents and entities through 48 virtual Statewide Planning Group and Outcome Area Working Group meetings, 20 in-person regional planning workshops and Tribal consultations, statewide surveys, webinars, presentations, and individual consultations and interviews.

Connecting Minority and Tribal Serving Communities

California received nine Connecting Minority Communities (CMC) Pilot Program grants, for a total of over $26.4 million, which will help colleges and institutions that serve minority and Tribal communities.

Department of Commerce Celebrating Investments

National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Assistant Secretary Alan Davidson and U.S. Representative Anna Eshoo (CA-16) joined federal, state, and local officials gathered at the Cabrillo Unified School District headquarters to announce and celebrate the allocation of $1.86 billion from the Biden Administration’s Internet for All Initiative. They listened to constituents discuss the next steps for improving the coastside’s access to the Internet.

Future Proofing and Supporting Hoopa Valley or Hoopa Valley Tribe Leads Major Build

Through the California Middle Mile Initiative, Golden State Net, and NTIA’s Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program (TBCP) grant to Hoopa Valley Public Utilities District (HVPUD), the State of California signed a groundbreaking agreement to construct a 23-mile section of the state’s middle mile network. This Joint Build Agreement maximizes state and federal funding to provide regional fiber-optic infrastructure in an unserved, remote area. These project funds complement and support each other to construct middle mile and last mile infrastructure to more than 1,000 homes on the reservation.

Future Proofing through a Statewide Network

California’s Department of Technology received an award of $73 million through NTIA’s Enabling Middle Mile Broadband Infrastructure (Middle Mile) Program for the construction of 680 miles of middle mile fiber across 37 spurs, which are part of the larger statewide middle mile network. This brings the network within five miles of 288,000 unserved addresses and 14 Tribal entities, and within 1,000 feet of 1,124 anchor institutions.

Connecting Tribal Lands and Governments

Tribal governments in California received 36 TBCP grants, totaling $167.5 million, to bring high-speed Internet to Tribal lands, including initiatives around telehealth, distance learning, affordability, and digital inclusion.