Broadband Infrastructure

Sierra County is working diligently to expand internet access to its residents.  The informational items below pertain to the County’s efforts to increase broadband internet access to rural/underserved areas:

 

  • The newly released Broadband Planning & Feasibility Study for Sierra County is now available!
  • $125,000 Grant ($25k matching funds from Sierra County) from US Dept of Commerce, Economic Development Administration (EDA), for development of a countywide Broadband Planning & Feasibility Study (done!  see link above)
  • $500,000 Grant from California Public Utilities Commission, Local Agency Technical Assistance (LATA) program, in partnership with Golden State Connect Authority, to develop engineered plans and specifications for Broadband infrastructure deployment (begun 2022; in progress...)
  • Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program Challenge process to notify the State Public Utilities Commission of errors in the National Broadband Map for determining funding priorities for unserved and underserved locations
  • Rolling Grant funding under the Federal Fund Account (FFA)/Last Mile broadband infrastructure deployment in partnership with Golden State Connect Authority to help fund high-priority "last mile" infrastructure throughout Sierra County


  • Please see the Communication Memo and GoogleEarth Map layer alerting residents and the communities of Calpine, Sierraville, Sierra City and Downieville that survey work—including the use of drones to help map existing utility poles and lines in the vicinity--will be conducted periodically starting the week of December 11, 2023.  The purpose of the surveys is to help map potential locations for installing new broadband internet infrastructure.  All work is being done with grant funding under the Local Agency Technical Assistance (LATA) Program, administered by the California Public Utilities Commission.  If you have any questions or concerns, please contact: Brandon Pangman at the Sierra County Planning Department (in Downieville) at: bpangman@sierracounty.ca.gov or (530) 289-3251.