CPUC Approves Funding for Public Housing Broadband Projects
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), in its ongoing commitment to help the state bridge the digital divide, today announced it has awarded approximately $1.398 million in California Advanced Services Fund (CASF) Broadband Public Housing Account grants to fund 19 public housing broadband projects from three applicants that will serve residents of 800 units.
The CASF Broadband Public Housing Account provides grants and loans to build broadband networks offering free broadband service for residents of eligible low-income communities. Eligible applicants include publicly supported housing developments and farmworker housing during the July 2022 application round.
Examples of the approved projects include the installation of wireless broadband networks, wired switched ethernet broadband networks, and combined wireless and wired broadband networks capable of providing broadband coverage to each residential unit. The grants were awarded to Surf Development Company, Self-Help Enterprises, and People’s Self-Help to connect 800 units in various housing developments throughout California, including Fresno, Lompoc, Madera, Mariposa, Pismo Beach, Potterville, and Santa Barbara.
The installations will provide a minimum download speed of 25 Mbps and a minimum upload speed of 3 Mbps during peak use hours of 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.
“I’m very pleased to support today’s decision, which will provide grant funding for network upgrades and free broadband service for residents in 19 publicly supported housing developments,” said Commissioner Darcie L. Houck. “Broadband service is not accessible if it is not affordable, and each of these projects will bring us that much closer to ensuring all Californians, regardless of income, have the digital capabilities to work, to study, and to access healthcare and emergency services.”
In July 2022, the CPUC received 19 Broadband Public Housing Account applications requesting a total of approximately $1.398 million in support. A list of submitted projects is available here.
The CASF provides financial support in the form of competitive grants for public housing broadband infrastructure and broadband adoption projects. In addition, it provides support to rural and urban regional broadband consortia to fund activities that are intended to facilitate broadband deployment.
The proposal voted on is available at docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Published/G000/M499/K706/499706047.PDF.
More information on the CASF program is available at www.cpuc.ca.gov/casf.
More information on the CPUC’s other efforts in broadband implementation for California is available at www.cpuc.ca.gov/industries-and-topics/internet-and-phone/broadband-implementation-for-california.
The CPUC regulates services and utilities, protects consumers, safeguards the environment, and assures Californians’ access to safe and reliable utility infrastructure and services. For more information on the CPUC, please visit www.cpuc.ca.gov.
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