The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) approved more than $74 million for extending broadband access throughout rural parts of California. The funding will help bring reliable internet service to Santa Barbara, Marin, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, and Sonoma counties.
The funding comes through the California Advanced Services Fund (CASF), a state program that helps pay for broadband infrastructure in areas where internet service is generally limited and are deemed “unserved.”
One of the largest awards went to Surfnet Communications, which received up to $33.2 million to build two fiber-optic broadband projects across the Central Coast. Of that funding, $24 million will support 927 unserved locations through the Central Coast Fiber Broadband Project, while the remaining $9.19 million will be invested in Santa Barbara County through the Santa Barbara Fiber Project…