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Second fiber optic line to Humboldt County in the works
Jan 30, 2009 (Times-Standard - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) --
The first step has been taken toward installing a second fiber optic line into Humboldt County, which would provide an increased coverage area, as well as the potential for broadband redundancy and more competitive rates.
The California Public Utilities Commission has tentatively adopted a resolution to provide more than $7.8 million from the California Advanced Services Fund to Sacramento-based Broadband Associates, to install a fiber optic cable along State Route 299 between Redding and Arcata.
The CASF was established as a two-year program intended to provide matching funds of up to 40 percent of project costs for the deployment of broadband infrastructure in unserved or underserved areas in California.
The maximum funds permitted will be used to fund the Highway 299 Broadband Network Project's total cost of $19.6 million.
CEO Michael Brinskele said Broadband Associates applied for the grant in August 2008, after meeting with local community members from Eureka, Arcata and Weaverville.
He said they "were very vocal regarding the need for reliable high-speed broadband Internet access in the region."
The resolution is scheduled to be adopted by CPUC on Feb. 20, at which time Broadband Associates must have $12 million in its capital budget or a performance bond, according to Brinskele.
Before the funds are released, "Broadband Associates is required to obtain a proper performance bond equal to the total amount payable under this CASF award," the report reads.
Brinskele said the company and its staff are working "every hour of every day toward achieving positive progress" to secure funding from organizations including private equity investment firms, the Department of Agricultural, and grants.
Brinskele recognizes the impact the recession may have on obtaining those funds, and is approaching the situation cautiously by "under promising and over delivering."
Eureka Chamber of Commerce President Chris Crawford said just as important as vehicle and air transportation, is data transportation.
The 150 miles of fiber optic line would provide access to approximately 5,734 households in portions of Humboldt, Trinity and Shasta counties. These households are currently considered unserved in that there is absolutely no access from any facility-based broadband, or are otherwise connected solely through dial-up or satellite service.
The fiber optic line along State Route 299 could work as a backup to the single line currently running along U.S. Highway 101.
"We are now just a winter storm or backhoe away from loosing connectivity," Crawford said.
Internet access has literally been cut off by construction crews in the past in outages ranging in length from a few hours to over a day. However, in order for redundancy to be achieved, an Internet Service Provider must choose to pay for the use of the second line.
Owner of Neratech, Tina Nerat said a second line would provide increased competition and potentially lower costs to internet service providers and ultimately their customers.
"The competition usually brings down prices, which can positively affect businesses that are paying $500 to $600 dollars a month or more for service," Nerat said.
Nerat worked on the Redwood Coast Connect Project, researching a successful approach to broadband deployment in the Redwood Coast region made up of Del Norte, Trinity, Humboldt and Mendocino counties.
"While I was working on the Redwood Coast Connect project, I spoke often with 25 telecom providers in the region, including telephone, cable, and wireless companies, encouraging all of them to apply for the CPUC CASF funds in our region," Nerat said. "Broadband Associates is the largest project funded to date, to build a fiber optic backbone from Eureka to the Interstate 5 corridor with wireless last-mile service from the Glendale/Blue Lake area over to Whiskeytown."
Brinskele said if all goes well and the funds are granted, Broadband Associated plans to launch the project immediately, starting within 60 to 90 days.
Erin Tracy can be reached at
441-0506 or
etracy@times-standard.com.
To see more of the Times-Standard, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to
http://www.times-standard.com. Copyright (c) 2009, Times-Standard, Eureka,
Calif. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints,
email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send
a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee
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