Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Tuolumne and Mariposa Counties have invested in creating a broadband roadmap for the Central Sierra region. Efforts are underway to identify gaps in broadband service, establish priorities, and to leverage funding opportunities to accelerate investment in broadband infrastructure. The Counties have hired broadband consulting firm, NEO Connect to create the broadband report which will identify existing broadband and fiber optic assets within the study area, identify gaps in service coverage and will put together a plan to fill those gaps. Other planning activities will be working with local stakeholders and regional service providers, establishing plans and estimated capital costs, and identifying potential partners to facilitate improving broadband infrastructure.

This effort will help existing service providers by facilitating open discussion about how to jointly solve communication gaps in coverage as well as improving existing infrastructure to enable faster broadband speeds. An Internet survey is available for residents in the area to provide feedback and information about the level of services currently available, how the Internet is currently being used by residents and what is most important to community members in regards to high-speed Internet services. The survey can be found online at www.centralsierrabroadband.com; and all residents are urged to participate and provide their input. Preliminary findings from the Internet survey suggest existing services are lacking in both reliability and speeds. Many respondents have stated lack of broadband availability has impacted their ability to attend classes or to work from home.

In addition to the Internet survey, the group is seeking further input from community members through a
webinar forum. Citizens are encouraged to participate in this process by discussing their current broadband
services and needs. Webinars are planned for the following dates and times:
 Tuesday, February 8th at 5:30 PT
 Wednesday, February 9th at 12:00 PT – Focus on impact on businesses, non-profits and anchor
institutions
 Wednesday, February 16th at 5:30 PT
 Thursday, February 17th at 12:00 PT

Participants are required to register prior to the scheduled webinars. To register, please go to
www.centralsierrabroadband.com and select the webinar for your participation.

For more information, visit www.NEOconnect.us and www.centralsierrabroadband.com, or call 970-309-
3500/209-288-4030.
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