By Patric Hedlund, TME
How is it possible to achieve competitive economic development in this area without robust and dependable broadband internet service?
A lack of dependable high-speed service in these Mountain Communities is a frequent subject of local social media chatter. We hear complaints about slow upload speeds, intermittent service outage and failure to receive service in some areas. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) wants to hear from you.
Next week, April 19, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., a virtual public hearing about the California Advanced Services Fund of 2008 (CASF) will be hosted by the CPUC. The fund provides subsidies to help build and expand broadband facilities to unserved areas of California. It has funded fiber-optic, fixed wireless, hybrid fiber-coaxial and copper-based projects to bring broadband to 98% of households…by 2032. The fund is raised by a surcharge on revenues of telecommunications carriers, collected from end-users forintrastate telecommunications services. This workshop is a forum for the California Public Utilities Commission, regional consortia, stakeholders, local governments, existing facility-based broadband providers and consumers to collaborate on strategies for expanding broadband access to unserved areas.
See www.MountainEnterprise.com for details on how to view the hearing and how to comment before, during and after the event. The Mountain Enterprise staff has also alerted local service providers, the Mountain Communities Chamber of Commerce and Supervisor Zach Scrivner of this event.
SAN FRANCISCO, April 11, 2022 – The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) will hold a remote access (virtual) workshop to consult with regional consortia, local governments, broadband providers, consumers, and other stakeholders on cost-effective strategies for expanding broadband access in unserved areas of the state.
WHAT: CPUC California Advanced Services Fund Public Workshop
WHEN: April 19, 2022, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Members of the public can make their voice heard in this proceeding, and read the comments of others, on our online Docket Card comment section at
http://apps.cpuc.ca.gov/c/R2008021. In addition to the opportunity to comment at the workshop, party comments will be posted to the Docket Card.
While a quorum of Commissioners and/or their staff may attend, no official action will be taken on this matter.
WHERE: Remote access via webcast or phone, as follows:
•Participants who choose to participate via webcast only will have audio and video but will not be able to make verbal comment. If you would like to make comments during the meeting, refer to the phone-in information below.
•For captions, after clicking on the name of the workshop, click the green button below the video for captions. Then select captions by clicking on the white icon next to the word “live” at the bottom of the video.
•The forums will also be recorded and archived for future viewing.
·Phone: 1-800-857-1917, passcode: 1673482#
•Participants will have audio and will be able to make comments or ask questions.
BACKGROUND
Since 2008, the California Advanced Services Fund (CASF) has helped close the Digital Divide in California by providing subsidies to build and expand broadband facilities to unserved areas of the state. The program has funded fiber-optic, fixed wireless, hybrid fiber-coaxial, and copper facility-based projects with a goal of making broadband available to 98 percent of households in each consortia region by 2032. The CASF is funded by a surcharge on revenues collected by telecommunications carriers from end-users for intrastate telecommunications services. This workshop is a forum for the CPUC, regional consortia, stakeholders, local governments, existing facility-based broadband providers, and consumers to collaborate on strategies for expanding broadband access to unserved areas.
If special accommodations are needed to attend, such as non-English or sign language interpreters, please contact the CPUC’s Public Advisor’s Office at
public.advisor@cpuc.ca.gov or toll free at 866-849-8390 three days in advance of the workshop.
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.
This is part of the April 15, 2022 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.
Have an opinion on this matter? We'd like to hear from you.
