Financial Boost For Tuolumne County Broadband
Sonora, CA – Tuolumne County was awarded over $400 thousand in state funding that is being called a “game changer.”
On Monday, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) awarded more than $4.82 million through its Local Agency Technical Assistance Grant Program to help close the state’s digital divide. With these funds, as advised by the CPUC, local governments will launch complex broadband infrastructure planning to improve broadband speeds and access in their communities. Tuolumne County received $417,033, which commission officials say will be used for the completion of a broadband strategic plan and a programmatic environmental impact report to design and install broadband infrastructure in the county.
“It’s a key first step in California’s $6 billion Broadband for All investment. “With this funding, the state is helping provide local governments with the capacity to develop, design, and build their own networks. These grants will usher in a new era of scalable, future-proof public broadband,” said CPUC President Alice Busching Reynolds. “This is a game changer for tackling the digital divide in the State of California and is another building block in the foundation for achieving Broadband For ALL.”
These are the first awards handed out from 46 applications submitted to CPUC in August. The $50 million total in grant funds available through the program, including $5 million set aside for tribes, will help facilitate high-speed broadband infrastructure projects.
