The Hoopa Valley Public Works District and the Yurok Tribe both received funding to improve internet connectivity in remote areas of the county. (Photo by Michael Bocchieri/Getty Images)
When everything went online during the pandemic, the lack of internet access in rural areas became more apparent than ever. This disparity prompted government funding. The Hoopa Valley and Yurok tribes are the latest beneficiaries as part of a larger effort to connect people in areas where telecommunications companies have traditionally not invested.
The California Public Utilities Commission announced Thursday that the Hoopa Valley Public Utilities District will be awarded $938,206 and the Yurok Tribe will be awarded $684,750 to improve internet access for tribal communities.
Linnea Jackson, general manager of the Hoopa Valley Public Utilities District, said rural and remote areas, especially tribal lands, have historically lacked telecommunications and other utilities. A smaller population may mean a lower return on investment for businesses, but that doesn’t mean services aren’t important, he said. This is one of many state and federal grants he has been awarded for ambitious fiber-optic projects in the area.
“Tribes and utilities have taken the lead on new opportunities to secure funding so we can do these constructions ourselves,” she said.
Hoopa Valley’s funding will go towards environmental studies and a Willow Creek area business plan to bring “fiber to the home” broadband service to underserved populations. According to the CPUC allow list, the speed will definitely be 100/100 Mbps or higher.
The Hoopa Valley Public Utilities District, a tribally chartered entity, will be the internet service provider and work on installing the fiber lines. Part of the grant process includes presenting a business plan for the area the entity will serve. This includes the Willow Creek area, which is part of Hupa Indian territory but outside the reservation.
“Being a contiguous community with many shared resources and businesses, we strive not only to provide adequate broadband service, but also to sustain businesses. Therefore, maximizing your investment over the long term. “You can,” she said.
Jackson said many of these federal grants target telecommunications projects, and it’s an effort for the state and federal governments and districts to learn how to make the process work for tribal organizations. He said that it has become.
Internet improvements across the region are badly needed. Jackson said that became evident during the pandemic, when schools, half of Hoopa Valley’s tribal departments and doctor’s appointments went online. People found themselves unable to telework and connect with the outside world due to the lack of fiber optic connectivity. It can be either a satellite or wireless connection in the area. In areas where ridges or trees block satellites or towers, service is spotty or non-existent, she said.
“I think this was a really important way of highlighting the connectivity gap. So I’m really happy that we’re being given the opportunity and the funding to help us achieve these goals,” Jackson said. , later added that the tribe is grateful for the opportunity to build resiliency and secure funding to become a community partner.
The Willow Creek study is occurring concurrently with work on the fiber installation project along State Route 299, which is approximately 50% complete. Vero Fiber Networks LLC began installing fiber optic cable from the Eureka area to Cottonwood in January 2023. This cable offshoot will include the Hoopa Valley and Yurok tribal communities.
The Yurok Tribe’s grant to the CPUC will fund the draft term sheet and potentially the CPUC application. This will enable the Yurok Tribe to acquire and upgrade local telecommunications infrastructure to provide high-speed internet to unserved and underserved areas. This also includes his five-year strategic plan outlining the strategy for his broadband infrastructure project, also designed to deliver 100 Mbps, and to be completed within two years.
Jackson noted that many broadband project grants to the Hoopa Valley Utility District are time-sensitive, requiring construction to be completed by 2026.
In 2022, the Hoopa Valley Tribal Council plans to install fiber and wireless to directly connect 1,045 underserved Native American households, 64 tribal businesses, and 19 community anchor institutions with fiber-to-home services. We received more than $65 million in federal funding. Other improvements. Yurok Telecommunications Corp. will install mid-fiber and last-mile wireless to connect his 921 underserved Native American households on the Yurok Reservation and Yurok ancestral lands with fixed wireless to the home. It received more than $61 million.
Other efforts to improve internet locally include the Klamath River Regional Broadband Initiative. According to the website, the project will be built by the end of 2024 from Orléans to Wychepek, from Wychepek to Wautech and Tooley Creek, from Wychepek to Orrick, and Orrick will be built on the existing McKinley Building, a joint venture between the Kaluk and Yurok tribes. entered the textile industry.
“It’s like being a pioneer, it’s like stepping into new territory. So it’s definitely something to be proud of. It’s a lot of hard work, but it’s great to see it completed and successful. I’m deeply focused,” Jackson said.
In a CPUC news release on Thursday, CPUC Commissioner Genevieve Siroma said in a prepared statement that “these grants will expand high-speed access to underserved communities and help all Thank you for helping us reach our broadband goals.”
Sage Alexander can be reached at 707-441-0504.
