Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Broadband Funding topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
County urges public to comment to CPUC after partial $12 million award to Comcast; seeks full Golden State Connect Authority funding
Summary
Calaveras County staff said the California Public Utilities Commission awarded roughly $12 million to Comcast in the county but that the county will petition for full funding to Golden State Connect Authority; staff asked residents to provide public comment at the CPUC hearing to bolster the GSCA application.
Calaveras County Information Technology Director Lindsey Groot and Economic and Community Development Director Kathy Gallino told the board Jan. 28 that the California Public Utilities Commission has recommended a roughly $12 million grant award to Comcast for broadband infrastructure in Calaveras.
Groot said that allocation represented about one‑third of the county’s total $30 million allocation under the federal funding account program, and staff are asking the CPUC to reconsider and award the full share to the Golden State Connect Authority (GSCA) open‑access fiber project the county supports. "The county partnered with Golden State Connect Authority to design an open access broadband fiber network that would leverage the full amount of the funding," Groot said.
Gallino said a number of local leaders recorded video testimonials and that supervisors and staff will be in Sacramento to present before the CPUC on Thursday; the county asked residents to make short public comments in support of the GSCA project. "Just a 1 minute comment from the public can make a huge difference," Groot said, and staff offered to email public comment instructions to interested residents.
Why it matters: Staff said an award to an open‑access design would create a foundation to expand broadband access across the county and the Sierras, and could affect which provider builds and operates infrastructure in high‑need communities. The CPUC hearing and the county’s Thursday advocacy were described as time‑sensitive steps.
What’s next: County staff will send supporters a flyer with call‑in information and collaborate with GSCA, local leaders and businesses to urge public comment at the CPUC hearing. No final project construction schedule or financing plan was adopted at the Jan. 28 meeting.
