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The recipient of a California Public Utilities Commission grant has pledged to offer a period of free broadband to residents in some low-income areas.
By: Brad Randall, Broadband Communities
South Valley Internet announced their intent to provide free broadband service for five years to some low-income communities connected during a project in Hollister, California.
Similarly, South Valley Internet, along with their partner company, LBC Communications, have pledged to provide discounted broadband for five years to some residents connected through network construction funded by a California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) grant in Benito, Santa Cruz, and Monterey counties.
The project in Hollister, which previously received over $1.7 million in CPUC funding, aims to connect 194 households, serving a total of 740 residents. According to the CPUC, 130 school aged children are included in the project’s coverage area.
\Dubbed the Southside Road Project, South Valley Internet used a recent announcement to explain that the project will reach three low-income communities within Hollister: The Hollister Migrant Housing Center, The San Benito County Farm Bureau, and The Community Services Development Corporation Southside Mobile Park.
“As a result, (South Valley Internet) will provide free broadband internet service to residents for at least five years,” the company’s announcement stated.
The other project mentioned in the ISP’s announcement, funded by a nearly $30 million CPUC grant to South Valley Internet’s partner company, LBC Communications, will use nearly $30 million from the CPUC to construct a middle-mile and last-mile broadband network and fiber to the home to over 1,000 unserved locations.
Additionally, the project will provide fixed-wireless access to over 60 locations, totaling over 1,100 underserved locations reached when construction finishes, according to South Valley Internet’s release.
“When complete, (South Valley Internet and LBC Communications) will offer speeds up to 5 Gbps symmetrical, while FWA will offer up to 600 Mbps download and 100 Mbps upload, delivering low-income broadband plans for just $15 per month for five years.
Elise Brentnall, President and COO of South Valley Internet, said South Valley and LBC Communications could not have been awarded the grants without the help of Balanced Access, a non-profit organization that combats the digital divide in South Santa Clara and San Benito counties.
Brentnall also thanked the Rotary Club of San Juan Bautista in comments included with the company’s July 23 release.
“Their combined support, expertise and effort to identify and guide us through the process has and will make a huge difference for the communities we love dearly,” Brentnall said.
Brentnall pointed out that South Valley Internet has been providing high-speed broadband for over 30 years and now can help the communities who need it most.
“Helping the communities you serve is smart business,” Brentnall said.
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