Wasco hears update on Unwired Broadband’s fiber‑to‑the‑home rollout

Johnny Sanoco, who identified himself as fiber operations manager for Unwired Broadband, told the Wasco City Council the company is midway through a fiber‑to‑the‑home rollout in Wasco. “Right now, half the town is lit,” Sanoco said, and he cited “2,728 passings” as the current network count. He said one distribution area is expected to go live this week if a pending Caltrans permit is approved.

The presentation focused on coverage, pricing and the company’s offer to provide dark fiber for city use. Sanoco said the network is designed to be expandable and “future proofs the foundation for the next generation,” and he asked to meet with the city engineer to review dark‑fiber options.

Council members raised construction impacts during a follow‑up exchange. Mayor Pro Tem Reina described a resident report that crews had cut a sprinkler line and left a yard damaged; Sanoco said he had spoken with that resident and that Unwired’s crews or contractors could make repairs. Another council member flagged temporary patches left after boring operations and called the resulting trip hazards a liability; Sanoco said company crews or on‑call staff will make repairs promptly and that the project is about 85% complete on boring with roughly 15% remaining.

Sanoco also acknowledged a slowdown tied to a Caltrans encroachment permit and said once permits are secured the remaining connections could be completed “within about a week and a half to two weeks.” He offered to provide staff with the pricing slide and to send materials to city staff for public distribution.

No formal council action was taken; the exchange concluded with the council thanking Unwired for the update and asking staff to continue coordination on permitting and restoration work.