{"id":149145,"date":"2022-10-13T14:37:09","date_gmt":"2022-10-13T21:37:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/?p=149145"},"modified":"2022-10-13T14:37:09","modified_gmt":"2022-10-13T21:37:09","slug":"state-begins-construction-on-10000-mile-broadband-network-to-bring-high-speed-internet-service-to-all-californians","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/?p=149145","title":{"rendered":"State Begins Construction on 10,000-mile Broadband Network to Bring High-Speed Internet Service to All Californians"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sacramento, CA…On the heels of Governor Gavin Newsom\u2019s $6.5 billion investment of taxpayer money to expand broadband infrastructure and enhance internet access for unserved and underserved communities, today construction began in rural San Diego County on the first leg of the 10,000-mile broadband network aimed at bringing high-speed internet services to all Californians, no matter where they live.<\/p>\n

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Newsom Administration officials celebrate the beginning of construction on the first leg of the state\u2019s 10,000-mile broadband network.<\/p>\n

\u201cCalifornia is now one step closer to making the digital divide a thing of the past,\u201d said Governor\u00a0Newsom. \u201cWe\u2019re starting construction today to get affordable high-speed internet in every California home because livelihoods depend on equitable access to a reliable and fast internet connection. This is about ensuring that all Californians, no matter the zip code they call home, can be part of\u00a0the Golden State\u2019s thriving and diverse economy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Construction began Thursday on State Route 67 near Poway in San Diego County, where Newsom Administration officials gathered as 500 feet of fiber optic cable was blown through conduit in the first segment of a massive, $3.6 billion statewide project known as the\u00a0\u201cMiddle Mile\u201d broadband network<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The planned network, which will be the nation\u2019s largest, will cover the entire state to help bring reliable, high-speed internet access to the millions of Californians who do not have it now. Roughly one in five Californians do not have access to reliable and affordable high-speed internet. Once complete, funding for \u201clast mile\u201d efforts will support internet connections from \u201cmiddle mile\u201d lines to homes and businesses, as well as efforts to ensure individuals can afford broadband service where it already exists.<\/p>\n

Last year, the Governor\u00a0signed historic legislation<\/a>\u00a0allocating $6 billion for achieving Broadband for All, including $3.25 billion for the middle-mile network and this year\u2019s budget put an additional $550 million toward the project as it moves into construction.<\/p>\n

The 2021 legislation included:<\/p>\n