CENIC and CED, CSU Chico Receive One Million Dollars in State Grants to Promote Broadband Adoption in Rural Northern Calif
Applications for Infrastructure and Adoption Projects for 11 Un- and Underserved Counties from CENIC and CED, CSU Chico Funded by CA Public Utilities Commission
LA MIRADA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Two projects to develop cohesive infrastructure for broadband services in Northern California and to encourage adoption among the one and a half million residents living there were funded by the CA Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) on December 1st. Both joint efforts by the Corporation for Education Network Initiatives in California (CENIC) and the Center for Economic Development at California State University, Chico (CED, CSU Chico), the Northeastern California Connect Consortium (NECCC) and the Upstate California Connect Consortium (UCCC) are funded for $449,991 and $448,184, respectively, over a period of three years.
The counties within the scope of the NECCC are Butte, Lassen, Modoc, Plumas, Shasta, Siskiyou, and Tehama. The counties within the scope of the UCCC are Colusa, Glenn, Lake, and Sonoma. Both the NECCC and the UCCC will work with other consortia as part of a comprehensive Northern California Broadband Plan to set the stage for a robust, integrated, and open-access fiber-optic middle-mile – and combination fiber-optic and wireless last-mile – infrastructure throughout the 11 counties listed in addition to Del Norte, Humboldt, Mendocino, Trinity, and Yolo counties.
Many of these counties are rural with rugged terrain as well as relatively low population, all of which pose great challenges to the construction of such an infrastructure over which broadband services can be delivered. Hence, these counties currently lack the broadband services that are an essential part of a healthy economy and a good quality of life in the 21st century, and which are already enjoyed in other regions of the state.
The NECCC and UCCC both consist of a multi-phase, three-year planning effort. During the first year, the two consortia will concentrate on developing and designing the 16-county Regional Middle-Mile infrastructure, as well as 11 countywide backbone systems and last-mile community plans. The NECCC and the UCCC then will facilitate the implementation of these infrastructure plans as well as developing and implementing adoption and training programs to ensure that every citizen has the opportunity to effectively use these capabilities.
“There is a deep awareness at the highest level in California of the importance of broadband availability and adoption to the state’s historic global position of economic and technology leadership,” said Tom West, Manager for the two Consortia. “These two funding decisions speak volumes of the state’s commitment to ensuring that California remains a global leader in all areas of 21st century life.”
The Consortia Associate Manager, Cathy Emerson of CED, is passionate about giving the rural communities a collective voice. “I learned that the northern counties want action, not more studies, and that someone was needed to guide a process, not tell them what to do or how to do it. These consortia are intended to include people from all aspects of the region, and based on the membership pledges and letters of support we are receiving, I’d say that’s what we have: a group of dedicated, committed individuals who at the end of the day can say they not only were a part of something, they actually affected change, and to the collective benefit of the whole region.”
Kelly Cox, Chief Administrative Officer for Lake County and a member of UCCC, stated, “This grant will enable us to develop a much needed comprehensive broadband plan for our county. Such a plan will enable us to pursue providers and funds to effectively implement broadband for our citizens and help us advance the county’s economic development plans.”
“Developing and implementing a broadband plan for Northern California will help fuel the economies of counties like Modoc by enabling us to attract investment capital to make local resources and products available to consumers across the state and nation,” stated Chester Robertson, Chief Administrative Officer of Modoc County and member of NECCC.
More information about the NECCC and the UCCC can be found at the following URLs:
- NECCC: www.necalbroadband.org
- UCCC: www.upcalbroadband.org
About the Center for Economic Development at CSU, Chico • www.cedcal.com
The mission of the Center for Economic Development (CED) at California State University, Chico is to educate and build the knowledge and capacity of California’s economic development professionals and enhance the well-being of the region's citizens by facilitating sustained, long-term, and coordinated economic development strategies.
About CENIC • www.cenic.org
California's education and research communities leverage their networking resources under CENIC, the Corporation for Education Network Initiatives in California, in order to obtain cost-effective, high-bandwidth networking to support their missions and answer the needs of their faculty, staff, and students.
CENIC designs, implements, and operates CalREN, the California Research and Education Network, a high-bandwidth, high-capacity Internet network specially designed to meet the unique requirements of these communities, and to which the vast majority of the state's K-20 educational institutions are connected. In order to facilitate collaboration in education and research, CENIC also provides connectivity to non-California institutions and industry research organizations with which CENIC's Associate researchers and educators are engaged.
CONTACT:
CENIC
Janis Cortese, (714) 220-3454
or
CED, CSU Chico
Cathy Emerson, (530) 898-3862
KEYWORDS: United States North America California
INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Education University Continuing Energy Utilities Technology Internet Telecommunications Mobile/Wireless
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