This week, RCRC submitted a formal motion to participate in a new California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) proceeding to implement the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program, created by the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) of 2021. California was awarded a combined $8.99 million (split between the CPUC and California Department of Technology) for initial planning and are required to coordinate program rules and eligibility for subgrantees to construct last mile broadband infrastructure utilizing the state’s share of the $42.45 billion available nationwide under BEAD.
The BEAD program directs the state to: (1) prioritize projects to service unserved locations determined by FCC National Broadband maps; (2) then underserved locations; and (3) rounding out with projects connecting eligible community anchor institutions that lack access to gigabit-level broadband service, such as schools, libraries, and healthcare facilities. Through this proceeding, the CPUC is seeking input to develop rules where they have the discretion to do so, such as criteria to ultimately select subgrantees. The CPUC has announced upcoming public engagement workshops over the next few weeks, to be held in person at various locations across the state. The calendar of workshops can be viewed here.
For more information, please contact RCRC Senior Policy Advocate, Tracy Rhine.