California eyes $7B for rural broadband; North Bay counties eager to log on

Gov. Gavin Newsom wants Californians to connect with each other by proposing a far-reaching investment of $7 billion to expand broadband service aimed at linking at least half the rural households that traditionally have slow, unreliable service over the next few years.

That includes the North Bay, which has pockets of neighborhoods struggling with poor digital connections in all three counties and beyond.

Meanwhile, the state Legislature is also doing something about the issue, with state Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, advancing Senate Bill 556. It passed in the Senate by a 31-2 vote. The proposed law eases rules for where broadband equipment can be placed in cities and counties, specifically using streetlights and traffic signals for wireless facilities.

“This is a big step forward,” said Paul Payne, Dodd’s spokesman. “He feels pretty positive about it.”

Sonoma County joins the California State Association of Counties, which endorses the state’s effort to place time, energy and money behind the issue. This comes at a time filled with remote learning and working.

“We’ve definitely heard from our community members about this — especially as a public safety requirement,” said Leo Chyi, a director for Sonoma County’s 5th District supervisor.

The discussion comes as the area is entering a dangerously dry time of year for wildfires in the summer and fall and access to information quickly.

The remote nature of areas such as Duncans Mills, Cazadero and Timber Cove bring about heightened concerns about households staying connected to urban neighborhoods and services.

“We’d love to see reliable service that doesn’t go down. It’s a real issue, especially for emergencies in rural areas,” Chyi said.

The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors will take up broadband expansion at its June 8 meeting, which starts at 8:30 a.m.

Sonoma County is not alone in its quest for fast, reliable internet.

Napa County, as outlined by Supervisor Diane Dillon in a May 7 North Bay Business Journal report, has its own rural enclaves such as Lake Berryessa and Angwin with connectivity issues. Those regions were ravaged by last year’s Glass and Hennessey fires, which roared through Solano County farms, over world-class vineyards and into Sonoma Valley.

For small businesses in Mendocino County, the notion of high-speed internet can’t come soon enough. Some business experts estimate about a quarter of the northern county doesn’t have the internet connectivity to perform basic tasks, as the Journal reported Feb. 21.

Marin County remains so serious about bridging the digital divide that the local government conducted a communitywide survey this spring, asking residents what they think of the service in their region.

Only 11% of respondents said they were satisfied with how fast and reliable their internet service is. Still, about a quarter of those surveyed indicated they’re willing to pay to improve the service.

In the meantime, the hope is the state will step up with efforts to lay a network, including to residents on the fringes. The venture may take some help in high places, as the Biden Administration is undergoing a push for broadband expansion in the president’s American Jobs Plan.

“California has charted its own path to green infrastructure. Now, we have a strong partner in Washington who understands that mitigating the impacts of climate change means fighting for a healthy economy,” Newsom said in a statement.