State grant to fund rural broadband expansion in Central Coast

Full implementation expected within approximately 18 months

– Surfnet Communications, Inc. announced it has been awarded $10,083,005 by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to extend high-speed, fiber broadband services to rural communities in San Luis Obispo, Santa Cruz, and Santa Clara counties.

“Everyone who lives in rural and mountainous communities deserves access to reliable, high-speed internet service, from families and seniors to remote workers and small businesses,” said Mark Morgenthaler, CEO of Surfnet Communications, Inc. “This is a very big day because we now have a clear path to providing more resilient internet infrastructure that meets the unique needs and challenges of the rural communities we serve. We are truly excited to be awarded this funding because it will make it possible to deliver much better internet service, while bridging the digital divide, fostering economic development, and future-proofing our infrastructure.”

The initiative will deliver an estimated increase in download speeds of up to 1,000% and an increase in upload speeds of up to 3,330%. These speed increases support Surfnet’s goal to provide enhanced, reliable connectivity that will increase access to the internet, promote digital inclusion, and stimulate economic growth.

The grant funding from the CPUC’s California Advanced Services Fund (CASF) is essential to meet Surfnet’s goal of future-proofing internet infrastructure in rural communities. The rural, mostly mountainous communities targeted by the initiative are prone to wildfires, which pose unique challenges to developing internet infrastructure. Surfnet has leveraged its experience in local mountain communities to design the initiative to withstand and mitigate the fire hazards associated with this terrain.

Work on the initiative is expected to begin in July, with the first customers receiving service in the fall. Full implementation is expected within approximately 18 months.

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