Calaveras officials urge full Round 1 award for Golden State Connect Authority broadband project

Several Calaveras County officials and service providers urged the California Public Utilities Commission to fully fund the county’s Golden State Connect Authority (GSCA) Round 1 federal funding request, saying improved broadband is vital for public safety, health care and education in the county’s rural areas.

Martin Huberty, District 3 supervisor in Calaveras County, told the hearing that “access to reliable and affordable broadband is incredibly important for all of my constituents.” He said high-speed service would allow residents in “rural mountainous areas to find work as well as be able to work remotely” and would help elderly residents on fixed incomes “access information and entertainment that will keep them engaged.”

Calaveras County Sheriff Rochelle Whiting said she supports GSCA’s Round 1 application and described broadband as crucial to serving “our most disadvantaged communities, especially those with access and functional needs.” Whiting said a robust open-access network is “necessary in Calaveras to ensure redundancy for crisis communications during times when cell service networks become overwhelmed when disasters strike” and that increasing the fiber network would bolster critical infrastructure and options to reach vulnerable populations “when seconds matter.”

Emergency responders echoed those concerns. Mike Johnson, fire chief at Ebbets Pass Fire District and president of the Calaveras County Fire Chiefs Association, said Round 1 funding is “so important for all of our residents and visitors to have connectivity in a time of an emergency.” Captain James Crabtree of Ebbets Pass Fire District noted that parts of the district have only “1 cellular network provider,” which he said puts citizens and visitors at risk and limits reliable 911 calls and reverse-911 notifications during wildfires or other large-scale disasters.

Eric Holt, director of emergency services for Calaveras County, said county systems must reach “upwards of 50,000 residents and travelers” who are largely “upcountry with low cell phone coverage and broadband capabilities,” and warned that without connectivity the county cannot reliably notify people during emergencies.

Health and social services leaders called out telehealth and isolation concerns. Doug Archer, a local resident and hospital administrator, said the pandemic demonstrated the importance of internet access for patients “less able to get out of their homes” and called telehealth a potential “game changer.” Michael Magana of the Calaveras Health and Human Services Agency cited a county social isolation report saying about “1 in every 2 older adults in our county feel lonely or isolated,” and argued broadband access is a “proven social driver of health.”

Karen Vail, Calaveras County superintendent of schools, focused on students, saying rural broadband is necessary to provide students “with every opportunity to be able to compete in the world or return home to serve their home community.” She urged support for the GSCA project so the county can expand rural broadband.

Speakers repeatedly asked the CPUC to reconsider and fully award Calaveras County’s GSCA Round 1 funding request; the commenters did not state specific dollar amounts or offer a formal alternate plan if the request is not fully funded. No formal vote or action was recorded in these public comments.

The comments combined public-safety, health-care and education arguments for awarding GSCA Round 1 funds to Calaveras County, and emphasized limitations in cellular coverage, the need for redundant crisis communications, and the potential for telehealth and remote work if broadband is expanded.