Broadband for All Update

Middle-Mile Broadband Initiative Update

The Middle Mile Broadband Initiative (MMBI) is not just a project but a commitment to bridging the digital divide, fostering connectivity, and empowering communities. The MMBI, one of Governor Newsom’s programs under SB-156, is poised to reshape the region’s digital landscape by connecting communities, enhancing digital infrastructure, and delivering digital equity through high-speed internet access to unconnected and under-connected areas of the state. This important project is transitioning from its planning phase to construction.

• CDT has issued 12 Work Authorizations for Caltrans to start construction on more than 160 miles of the MMBI network so far in the Counties of Inyo, Lake, Lassen, Los Angeles, Mendocino, Riverside, Shasta, Siskiyou, and Ventura.
  • Contractors have already micro-trenched over two miles of a 10.7-mile route along Highway 74 in Riverside County.
  • The Mendocino County 10-mile segment targeted for Summer 2024 is about 25% complete, with more than 2½ miles of conduit in the ground.
• Boldyn has completed 30% of a 30-mile segment along the I-880 corridor next to BART from Oakland to Fremont in the heart of the Bay Area, and is 90% complete on a 14.3-mile segment between San Francisco and San Bruno.
• This April:
  • Caltrans is scheduled to complete installation of fiber, conduit, and vaults on an 18-mile segment of SR 67 in San Diego County. This segment was the first to go to construction in October 2022, and was done as part of a larger transportation project.
  • Caltrans is scheduled to start construction on a 7-mile segment along I-5 in Shasta County.
  • Lumen is planning to start pulling fiber in 3 locations totaling almost 360 miles in the Counties of Los Angeles, Imperial, San Diego, and Orange.
  • Boldyn is planning to start pulling fiber on another 9-mile segment along I-580 in Alameda County between Oakland and Richmond.

The Q2 Middle Mile Advisory Council will occur on Friday, April 19, at 10 a.m. We encourage participation online or in person. The link to join meeting is here.

For the latest updates to the program, we encourage everyone to check the “What’s New” section of the website here.

Last Mile Program Update

Loan Loss Reserve Program is Taking Applications

The CPUC is accepting applications to the Loan Loss Reserve Fund from March 12 through April 9, 2024. The Loan Loss Reserve Fund is a credit enhancement program that supports local governments, Tribes, and non-profits to leverage funding (bonds, loans, letters of credit) for broadband infrastructure and achieve more favorable borrowing rates. To learn more about the program, register for webinars, information sheets, and application information, and to subscribe to announcements visit the Loan Loss Reserve Fund webpage.

California Advanced Services Fund Updates

Program Changes to the Broadband Public Housing Account

On March 7, 2024, the CPUC approved an expansion of and enhancements to the California Advanced Services Fund (CASF) Broadband Public Housing Account. Decision (D.) 24-03-041 expands eligibility to include low-income residents who do not reside in publicly supported housing communities, including mobile home parks, as well as internet extension projects. The Broadband Public Housing Account now covers more project costs including a broader scope of interconnection and backhaul costs eligible for reimbursement. Applications are accepted twice each year, by the 1st of July and January. Learn more about the Broadband Public Housing Account on the webpage here.

Program Changes to Tribal Technical Assistance

On March 7, 2024, the CPUC also approved enhancements to the Tribal Technical Assistance Grant Program. The expansion provides increased support for market studies, feasibility studies, and business plans. Tribes are now eligible for up to $250,000 per year, and new categories of expenses are now eligible. Applications are accepted four times each year by the 1st of January, April, July, and October. Find out more about the program here.

Infrastructure Grant Awards

New CASF Infrastructure Grant Account 2024 deadlines and updated Broadband Availability Map will be announced in the coming months. The expiration (“deemed denied”) date for the June 1, 2023 round of CASF Infrastructure Grant applications was moved to June 30, 2024. Learn more about the Infrastructure Grant Account on the website.  

Federal Funding Account Updates

The CPUC’s Last-Mile Federal Funding Account provides broadband infrastructure grants to bring unserved Californians high-speed connections. Evaluations of applications continue with recommendations to the Commission in the months ahead. There were an unprecedented number of applications with requests to fund last-mile infrastructure projects for every county in California. A list of projects, applicants, requested amounts, and objections can be found in the Broadband Grant Portal here. Learn more about the Federal Funding Account on the website. Those interested may subscribe to program updates.

CPUC Broadband Caseworkers

The CPUC’s broadband caseworkers support local governments, tribal entities, and other stakeholders as they navigate the broadband ecosystem to solve high-speed internet challenges. Caseworkers provide expertise about broadband grant programs, requirements, project planning and deployment, partnerships, and more. The broadband caseworker website contains resources on these and other topics. Meetings with the team may be requested by email to Broadband.Caseworkers@cpuc.ca.gov.

Broadband Adoption and Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) Update

The Affordable Connectivity Program stopped accepting new applications and enrollments on February 7th. April is expected to be the last month enrolled households will receive the full benefit, barring additional funding from Congress. For more information, please visit https://www.fcc.gov/acp.

In case you missed it in last month’s email update, CDT Director Liana Bailey-Crimmins and CPUC President Alice Reynolds sent a letter to the California Congressional Delegation urging Congress to approve additional funding for the program, citing its impact to Congress’ investment in the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment Program. You may view the full letter here: CDT CPUC ACP Letter to Congress.

Low-Cost Offer Finder

To promote broadband affordability, CDT provides the low-cost offer finder tool, with information from EveryoneOn and CETF, as a public service to California residents. The information and services provided assist Californians in finding programs in their area offering low-cost internet services, computer offers, and digital skills training. ​

Digital Equity and Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Updates

NTIA Accepted California’s State Digital Equity Plan

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) officially approved the State’s Digital Equity Plan (SDEP) on March 28. NTIA’s approval is an important step as the State is now eligible to apply for its allocation of the Digital Equity Capacity Grant. This funding will support the implementation of the plan. Thank you to the many residents, partners and stakeholders who helped shape the SDEP. We invite you to view and download a PDF version of the California Digital Equity Plan. This version includes a section on the public comment process and how input from the process led to further modifications of the plan.

The Executive Summary has also been translated into seven languages including Spanish, Traditional and Simplified Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Korean, and Arabic. This effort underscores our commitment to reaching and engaging all Californians, in their preferred languages, in our collective journey towards digital equity. With the available HTML version, content can be translated into more than a hundred additional languages.

NTIA Releases Digital Equity Capacity Grant Notice of Funding Opportunity

On a related note, the NTIA released the Digital Equity Capacity Grant Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) on March 29. The State has until May 28, 2024, to respond to the NOFO.

The Digital Equity Capacity Grant funding will be released in three tranches over three fiscal years. The State must apply for and will receive the first tranche of California’s of $70.2 million later this year. CDT seeks further engagement and subject matter expertise from residents and stakeholders in the coming months to help further shape programs called out in the plan through which capacity grant funding will be distributed. 

Anh Q. Nguyen Receives Award for Digital Equity Planning Engagement

Anh Q. Nguyen, Broadband Operations and Engagement Manager for the Office of Broadband and Digital Literacy, received a California CIO Academy Leadership Award for her management of the expansive and inclusive State Digital Equity Planning process. Anh led the execution of 28 virtual meetings, three surveys, 20 in-person planning workshops, numerous interviews/listening sessions, and communications through email and the Broadband for All portal which engaged over 50,000 California stakeholders whose input informed the draft plan. Anh led an accessible public comment process that yielded 442 comments from California to further inform the final SDEP.

Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program Updates

The Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program is the next major tranche of broadband funding, with $1.86 billion in federal funding for broadband infrastructure in California. In late December, the CPUC submitted a two-volume Initial Proposal (Volume I and Volume II) for how California will make BEAD funding awards to the NTIA for approval.

To view BEAD underlying serviceable location data including latitude and longitude, a Tier E license is available free to local governments, Tribes and tribal entities, and non-profit organizations. Find more information on Tier E Licenses at How to Get Location Data for BEAD. Additional information is on the CPUC’s BEAD website and you may subscribe for BEAD updates to receive program news.

Upcoming Events

Date	Time	Event	Locations and Zoom Links
Friday, April 19, 2024	10:00-11:30 a.m.	Middle-Mile Advisory Committee Meeting (Hybrid)	California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA), Rosenfeld Hearing Room -450 N Street, Sacramento, CA 95814 Zoom Link
Tuesday, April 23, 2024	9:30-11:30 a.m.	California Broadband Council Meeting (Hybrid)	(New location) California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA), Byron Sher Auditorium – 1001 I Street, Sacramento, CA 95814 Zoom Link

Job Opportunities

California Department of Technology 

CDT is hiring across many teams to support Broadband for All. Apply using the link below.

• Staff Services Manager II – Adoption and Digital Literacy Manager – FFD 4/21/24 

Keep an eye on CDT Broadband job postings and CPUC job postings. Visit CalCareers  for more information and to apply for open positions.