(TNS) \u2014 Thousands of residents in the Hoopa Valley area will now have access to reliable Internet after a historic agreement earlier this week between state and tribal officials that will lead to the first-ever tribal-state middle-mile broadband joint-build agreement.<\/p>\n
The agreement is part of a state-wide effort to help provide affordable access to the Internet for those in less-populated areas.<\/p>\n
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the Middle-Mile Broadband Initiative (Senate Bill 156) into law back in 2021, with the bill providing $3.25 billion to develop the necessary infrastructure to provide Internet access to businesses and homes.<\/p>\n
State and tribal leaders met on Hoopa Valley Tribe ancestral lands on Tuesday to celebrate having completed nearly 23 miles of \u201cof high-capacity middle-mile broadband infrastructure,\u201d which is just a small fraction of California\u2019s new 8,000+ mile network. The state and the Hoopa Valley Public Utilities District (HVPUD) partnered in the first-ever Tribal-State middle-mile broadband joint-build agreement but the partnership spurred 10 more joint-build agreements with other California Tribal Nations.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Hoopa Valley Tribe is proud to be the first tribe in California to enter into a joint-build agreement under the SB156 Middle-Mile Broadband Initiative,\u201d Hoopa Valley Public Utilities District General Manager Linnea Jackson said in Wednesday\u2019s news release. \u201cThis groundbreaking marks more than just fiber going into the ground \u2014 it represents a historic step forward in building long-overdue regional infrastructure across our aboriginal territory in Northern California. It has taken years of design, permitting and planning to get to this point and, together with CDT, we are building critical connectivity for tribal nations, rural communities, and all Californians.\u201d<\/p>\n
The 23 miles came along California state Route 96, but there is broadband infrastructure being developed all throughout the state. The 23 miles will serve roughly 1,900 homes and 3,000 residents. Humboldt County has 252.6 total network miles with the Middle-Mile Broadband Initiative, which is the eighth-highest total of any county in the state. Neighboring Trinity County has an additional 72.4 network miles.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am proud of the collaboration with the Hoopa Valley Tribe that will bring reliable Internet access to the tribe and to the surrounding community,\u201d spokesperson and state Department of Technology director Liana Bailey-Crimmins said in the release. \u201cOur first-of-its-kind agreement with the Hoopa Valley Tribe proved the concept, opened the door for ten more tribal partnerships, and shows that statewide connectivity and Tribal self-determination go hand in hand.\u201d<\/p>\n
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the state viewed improving Internet services for \u201cunderserved\u201d regions, with underserved meaning areas with Internet connection with download speeds less than 25 Mbps and uploading speeds less than 3 Mbps.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are very thankful for the Middle-Mile Broadband Initiative, our partnership with the State of California, and all the hard work committed towards these projects by our Hoopa Valley Public Utilities District as well as the (California) Department of Technology,\u201d Hoopa Valley Tribal Chairman Joe Davis said. \u201cThrough these efforts, our community will be more resilient and successful. We look forward to keeping the momentum going!\u201d<\/p>\n