The California Public Utilities Commission on July 16 approved more than $74 million in broadband infrastructure grants to expand fiber service in seven counties.
The commission voted to back three awards through the California Advanced Services Fund’s Infrastructure Funding Account: up to $32,398,849 for Wii Conduit and Gigabit Now to build fiber in Sonoma County, up to $33,197,090 for SurfNet Communications Inc. for unserved locations in Santa Barbara, Monterey, Santa Cruz, Santa Clara and San Luis Obispo counties, and up to $8.5 million for Hankins Information Technology in Marin County.
CPUC staff said the grants are expected to connect 1,788 unserved locations. The presentation also said the projects include communities in high fire-threat districts and low-income service commitments.
The awards were part of a broader July 16 voting meeting in San Francisco that also included approval of two consent agendas and other routine items. The broadband grants were presented by Ana Maria Johnson, the commission’s deputy executive director for broadband and communications.
The meeting record provided the county names and funding caps for the grants, but not the full construction timelines, local match requirements or other performance conditions. Those details are expected to be contained in the underlying resolutions.
