Colusa County advances EduNet broadband rollout with YCCD talks and local pilots

Colusa County technology staff reported steady progress in building an education‑focused broadband network called EduNet and piloting service in Williams to connect students who lack reliable home internet. Alex Evans, CCOE technology lead, said the EduNet infrastructure is in place in parts of Williams and that the county is distributing LTE routers and testing vertical assets to expand coverage.

"Alex added that the EduNet is being deployed in Williams," the August meeting minutes note. Evans told the board that as districts bring vertical assets online, some schools could bypass traditional Internet service providers for primary connectivity and use ISPs only as a backup.

Evans and Superintendent Michael West described partnerships and negotiations pursued over the year, including work with Yuba Community College District on spectrum access and a deal with a national carrier to lease spectrum for education use. The board heard that the initiative faces typical rural economics: "as a business T‑Mobile (and other similar ISPs) need more population to make it profitable," Evans explained, underscoring why schools and community partners must combine resources to cover sparsely populated areas.

Board members asked about timing and next steps. Staff said technical pilots have produced encouraging results (including multi‑mile signal tests) and that further expansion depends on securing vertical assets, completing equipment purchases, and regulatory approvals. The district and county will continue pursuing grant funding, shared‑spectrum agreements and partnerships to reach unserved pockets such as Stonyford and Dunnigan.