The yearslong effort to build out a statewide middle-mile broadband network achieved its first live connection Thursday, as state and tribal leaders gathered in Bishop to mark the occasion.
The first live section of the statewide middle-mile network will serve the Bishop Paiute Tribe through an agreement that will allow the tribe to manage and operate high-speed Internet service throughout its community.
“This is not just a milestone for the tribe, this is a milestone for the entire state,” state CIO Liana Bailey-Crimmins said during the ceremony.
“What makes today most meaningful is how this service will be delivered,” she added. “The Bishop Paiute Tribe will be able to serve their own community on their own terms. They will have local control, self-determination, and the ability to establish their digital future.”
The seeds of the Broadband for All initiative were planted in 2020 through an executive directive, and in July 2021, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed SB 156, cementing the mission and $3.25 billion needed to connect un- and underserved parts of the state — communities that have traditionally been overlooked in large Internet service provider service plans.
These areas have been harder to serve because of the costs associated with building out middle-mile infrastructure. The Middle-Mile Broadband Initiative (MMBI) does just that, offering a state-sponsored backbone that providers can build off of.
“In the coming months, we’re going to complete this network, more than 8,000 miles through every one of California’s 58 counties, bringing high-speed broadband access to more than a million Californians, who today have no access to high-speed Internet, and bringing competition and lower prices to millions more,” Government Operations Agency Secretary Nick Maduros said in his remarks.
The state has 8,185 miles of network infrastructure planned for the project, and according to a fact sheet provided through the MMBI website, with 2,935 miles in pre-construction and 4,827 miles in the installation phase. At the moment, 423 miles of the network are ready for connection, all in the eastern part of the state.
“We’re hoping to get over 5,300 miles completely constructed and built in this state by the end of the calendar year; well on our way to finally delivering on this promise for all Californians,” Newsom said.
The state anticipates awarding a contract for the MMBI network operator in April.
Officials Flip the Switch on California’s Middle-Mile Network
The massive undertaking known as the Middle-Mile Broadband Initiative turned on its first section of the network Thursday during a ceremony attended by state and tribal leaders.
Image courtesy of the Governor's Office
