VISALIA — Five counties across the Central Valley will receive nearly $253 million in federal funding to expand high-speed internet access in rural communities.
State representatives and local leaders announced the funding during a press conference on Oct. 2 at the Visalia Convention Center, concluding the annual San Joaquin Valley Regional Association of California Counties Conference. The conference is an annual three-day event where elected supervisors and regional leaders meet to collaborate on Central Valley issues.
The funding was secured with the help of a regional coalition made up of Fresno, Kings, Madera, Merced and Tulare counties. Local officials said the investment marks a significant step toward expanding broadband infrastructure across the Central Valley.
“So many of our rural communities continue to face challenges with reliable broadband services,” Chair of the Tulare County Board of Supervisors Amy Shuklian said. “This investment gives us an exciting opportunity to bring high-speed internet to our rural communities across the region.”
The money was approved through the Broadband Equity Access and Development (BEAD) initiative, a $42 billion federal program to provide states with funding for expanded broadband development, adoption, mapping and digital equity. The program was authorized by the Bipartisan Infrastructure law, and requires states to prioritize underserved homes and communities first.
California was allocated about $1.86 billion through the program. After advocacy efforts by the five-county coalition, more than $250 million of that funding was designated for the region, according to California Public Utilities Commissioner Darcie Houck. The agency ratified the state’s final BEAD funding proposal Sept. 17.
State and county leaders said they recognized the need for expanded internet access after rural communities struggled to access education and healthcare services during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tulare County Supervisor Dennis Townsend shared that at the time, families were reaching out to his office to request better internet connection for their children who were attending school online. Congressman Jim Costa said that parents were taking their kids to county libraries to find a hotspot to connect to for online classes.
“I hope we’ve learned a few lessons from the pandemic,” Costa said. “We need to be looking forward to the 21st century to ensure that our rural communities have access to state-of-the-art technology.”
Other elected officials asserted that the Central Valley should be a top priority for federal funding, given the high percentage of underserved areas and the socioeconomic struggles across communities in the region.
“Broadband today is like electricity was in the 1930s,” Costa said. “Broadband is not a luxury, not anymore.”
Before forming the regional coalition, officials from the five counties had applied separately for broadband funding but struggled to secure significant investments. Fresno County Supervisor Nathan Magsig said he eventually reached out to county leaders across the region and helped organize a joint application.
“The challenges we face are very similar,” Magsig said. “As we speak with one voice, we can be louder, we can be heard.”
Magsig said the federal funding could also be used to leverage future investments by private providers, with some estimates saying that counties could receive an additional $300 million for broadband expansion. Of the recently approved funding, $44 million will go towards Tulare County, and will support high-speed internet access at 5,900 individual locations, according to Townsend.
Officials said the expanded broadband network could support telehealth services for residents who face transportation barriers, increase access to educational opportunities and improve public safety responses. Costa highlighted the needs of rural veterans who rely on online care from hospitals in Fresno, while local officials pointed to the broader challenges faced by residents who live far from major services.
“Broadband challenges do not stop at county lines,” Nagsig said. “This investment is going to be something which really helps our communities for decades to come.”
