News
Three grants awarded to Frontier will help the provider expand access to unserved and underserved locations in two California counties.
By: Brad Randall, Broadband Communities
Frontier Communications has secured over $23 million in public funds from California to expand broadband access in San Bernardino and Riverside counties.
The funding, which came in the form of three grants, was awarded by the California Public Utility Commission (CPUC).
The news is the latest development with broadband in Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
Earlier this month, AT&T announced that nearly 7,500 locations in Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Mateo counties will gain access to AT&T Fiber once a $30 million public-private project is complete.
Veronica Bloodworth, Frontier’s chief network officer, said the funding underscore’s Frontiers commitment to building critical infrastructure in California.
“These grants will help us expand access to our high-speed fiber internet to unserved and underserved communities in the state,” Bloodworth said, according to Frontier’s August 29 release. “That means more Californians will be able to benefit from all the opportunities that our fast, reliable fiber connectivity offers.”
Comments from CPUC President Alice Reynolds were also included in Frontier’s announcement.
“These broadband projects put state and federal funds to work, bolstering our economy, building durable infrastructure, and generating quality jobs,” said Reynolds. “This infrastructure will meet the work, education, healthcare, public safety, and social needs of Californians well into the future, bringing us closer to achieving our Broadband For All objectives.”
Additional remarks, from CPUC Commissioner Darcie L. Houck, discussed the importance of the vehicle by which the grants were provided, the CPUC’s Federal Funding Account (FFA) program.
“These Federal Funding Account grants are an important step to help close the digital divide in rural and urban communities who do not have access or have substandard access to fast and reliable broadband service,” said Houck.
The CPUC’s Federal Funding Account, which is geared towards building out last-mile connections, was established as part of Senate Bill 156, passed in 2021.
Throughout August, the California Public Utilities Commission has named additional awardees for two rounds of funding in the state’s Last Mile Federal Funding Account Grant Program.
Funding recommendations for the program’s fifth round, totaling $91 million, included grants to seven agencies: the City of Ukiah, the City of Fort Bragg, Round Valley Indian Tribe, Comcast, Marin County, Surfnet, and Hankins Information Technology.
Meanwhile, recommendations for the program’s sixth round of funding, announced August 23, includes grants for three Tribal entities in Del Norte and Humboldt counties: the Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation, the Karuk Tribe, and Yurok Telecommunications Corporation.
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