DINUBA – Within two years’ time, Dinubans will have another means of accessing the internet as California-based company Race Communications looks to expand upon residents’ currently limited options for connection.
Race Communications announced in a press release Aug. 26 plans to bring its 100% fiber-to-the-home network to Dinuba, further building out the company’s infrastructure in Tulare County. After first providing high-speed internet to California’s high desert regions, Race has spent the last few years focusing on overlooked and underserved areas of the Central Valley.
“As we started inquiring with residents in (Dinuba), we saw that there was a need for service, and we’re very passionate about that,” Vice President of Government Affairs Jim Miller said. “Cities of all sizes in all areas of California should have the opportunity to have quality internet connection and fiber internet connections so that they’re able to not only continue through this decade but into the next century.”
Miller told the Mid Valley Times that Race’s fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) network, provided at 10 gigabit speeds, allows users to have symmetrical rates, meaning their speeds for uploads and downloads are the same. This can be beneficial for people who work from home and have to send large files back to their offices.
By using fiber-optic cables, Miller said Race is able to continue to upgrade its speeds by replacing the electronics at a consumer’s house as opposed to replacing the actual network infrastructure.
“So we’re putting in a product today that’s going to be good for the next 50 to 100 years,” Miller said.
Race’s network also differs from other internet service providers because the company is a competitive local exchange carrier, which is a designation for a licensed phone company through the California Public Utilities Commission, Miller said. With this, Race builds its network with a lot of redundancies to protect against failures.
“So whether a failure is power outages, a failure is somebody cutting through a line, we have redundancy built into our network to be able to keep our network up and operational,” Miller said.
According to the press release, Race’s entrance into Dinuba builds on the company’s more than $200 million California expansion backed by private investment. The company has moved into 25 cities, including Fresno, Bakersfield, Modesto, Merced and Atwater.
“Expanding into Dinuba is an exciting step forward for Race as we continue to grow across California and Tulare County,” Race Communications CEO Raul Alcaraz said in the press release. “We’re determined to bring as many cities as possible the connectivity they need to thrive whether at work or at home, and Dinuba won’t be left behind.”
Race has been serving Tulare County since 2022 and is currently available in Tulare, Farmersville and portions of Porterville.
Construction in Dinuba is anticipated to start in the fall and should take 18 to 24 months depending on weather conditions, Miller said. Residents will see minimal disruptions as the network is installed alongside existing utilities.
Miller said Race has identified approximately 4,000 homes within Dinuba city limits that it plans to bring connections to. For individuals living on the outskirts of the city who are interested in Race, Miller said they should inquire about services through the Race website. This will allow the company to see where additional need and interest is.
“Once we’re done building the city, Race isn’t done building,” Miller said. “We continue to look for expansion areas.”
