TRUCKEE, Calif. — Nevada County was awarded $497,799 in Local Agency Technical Assistance grant funding from the California Public Utilities Commission. The grant will provide broadband network design and engineering throughout rural Nevada County, accelerating the construction of fiber-to-the-home and business networks to additional unserved communities over the next few years.

“This grant will help put us first in line with competitive shovel-ready projects as State and Federal broadband construction grants are released,” said Nevada County’s Chief Information Officer Steve Monaghan.

The LATA grant is part of California’s larger broadband legislation, SB 156, to invest $6 billion in expanding fiber infrastructure and equitable access to high-speed internet for families and businesses.

---

---

“Identifying and engineering broadband solutions in the most needed areas across the county moves us one step closer to our goal of making sure every county resident has high-speed Internet service,” adds Monaghan.

Due to extreme topography and low population density, building fiber-to-the-home is traditionally cost-prohibitive in many areas in rural Nevada County. This pre-development work will assist internet service providers in building projects that offer affordable, reliable, and sustainable broadband networks capable of expanding to meet future technology needs.

---

---

Nevada County’s Broadband Strategy

Broadband became a Board Objective in 2021. The Board continues to seek initiatives and solutions to support economic development, distance learning, telework, telemedicine, and public safety, and enhance the daily quality of life for Nevada County citizens. Current policies and initiatives include:

• Nevada County’s award-winning Last Mile Grant Program to complete connections to residents’ homes
• A Dig-Once Policy to reduce future broadband infrastructure costs during current projects
• A countywide Environmental Impact Report for broadband so that individual fiber projects can take advantage of State and Federal grant funding programs
• Advocacy for broadband in Nevada County and across rural California through the Golden State Connect AuthorityLearn more and subscribe for broadband updates at http://www.NevadaCountyCA.gov/Broadband.