South Valley Internet and LCB Communications Receive Multiple CPUC Grants to Bridge Digital Divide
23 Julio 2024 - 7:40AM
Business Wire
More than $30M in funding to Bring High-Speed
Internet to Over 1,300 Underserved Households in Central California
Counties
South Valley Internet Incorporated (SVI), the first provider
with over 30 years of experience delivering top-tier network and
local internet access to the communities of Morgan Hill, San Martin
and Gilroy, CA, and LCB Communications (LCB), a licensed CLEC
operator, announce today that they have been awarded two grants by
the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to bring enhanced
broadband Internet and telecommunications services to multiple
underserved communities throughout San Benito County.
The first grant, which is memorialized in the CPUC Resolution
T-17792, approves funding for a broadband Fiber to the Home (FTTH)
project by SVI in the amount of just over $1.7 Million from the
California Advanced Services Fund (CASF) Line Extension Program.
The funds are to aid the development of the Southside Road Project
in Hollister, CA, which will provide high-speed internet service
from speeds of one gigabit per second (Gbps) symmetrical to 194
households, serving 740 residents including 130 school-aged
children. The project area includes three low-income communities
including The Hollister Migrant Housing Center, The San Benito
County Farm Bureau, and The Community Services Development
Corporation Southside Mobile Park. As a result, SVI will provide
free broadband internet service to residents for at least five
years.
The second grant, represented in CPUC Resolution T-17817,
approves funding for LCB Communications LLC (LCB) to construct a
broadband infrastructure network in the Aromas-San Juan area.
Nearly $30 Million dollars was awarded to construct a hybrid
middle-mile and last-mile broadband network in portions of San
Benito, Santa Cruz, and Monterey Counties to provide
fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) service to 1,038 unserved locations and
fixed wireless access (FWA) to 63 unserved locations, totaling
1,101 currently underserved locations. When complete, SVI/LCB will
offer speeds up to 5 Gbps symmetrical, while FWA will offer up to
600 Mbps download and 100 Mbps upload, delivering low-income
broadband plans for just $15 per month for five years.
“The team at SVI/LCB are thrilled to have received these grants
and could not have done it without the help of Balanced Access, a
non-profit organization created to eliminate the digital divide in
South Santa Clara and San Benito Counties and the aid of the Rotary
Club of San Juan Bautista,” comments Elise Brentnall, President and
COO of South Valley Internet. “Their combined support, expertise
and effort to identify and guide us through the process has and
will make a huge difference for the communities we love dearly. SVI
has been providing high speed broadband to our customers for over
30 years and now have the opportunity to make a difference to those
who need it most - Helping the communities you serve is smart
business. We look forward to changing the lives of those who live
in more than 1300 households throughout San Benito, NE Monterey and
SE Santa Cruz Counties.”
Each resolution represents a significant investment in broadband
infrastructure for the Residents of San Benito, Northeast Monterey
and South East Santa Cruz Counties, and demonstrates California's
commitment to expanding high-speed internet access to unserved
communities. For SVI/LCB, the funding will make a positive impact
as the companies expand their network and service capabilities to
bring free and/or low-cost, high-speed internet to previously
unserved communities.
To learn more about South Valley Internet and its CLEC partner
company LCB Communications, please visit www.garlic.com.
About South Valley Internet Incorporated
South Valley Internet (SVI) is a locally owned and operated
Telecommunications Company headquartered in San Martin, California.
For over 25 years, the company has continued to provide communities
of South Santa Clara county and the city of San Juan Bautista, with
competitive high-speed connectivity. With a mission to deliver
unparalleled customer service, value and innovation, SVI offers
competitive broadband speeds, pricing and content to better serve
its customers and communities, disrupting the incumbent-dominated
telecommunications landscape. Offering a diverse portfolio of
top-tier solutions for both home and business phone and internet
requirements, SVI stands as a leading provider of innovative
services in the region.
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