On November 23, 2022, Amador County was notified that it would be awarded $500,000.00 to fund the County of Amador Broadband Network Design Project. The Local Agency Technical Assistance (LATA) fund is granted by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and the application was submitted in partnership with Golden State Connect Authority (GSCA), who will manage the grant on behalf of the County.

LATA funding will cover pre-development costs to advance broadband deployment to unincorporated areas via the development of construction-ready network designs, prioritizing unserved and underserved areas within Amador County. The CPUC identifies areas as "unserved" or "underserved", as proposed by Senate Bill (SB) 156, where residents receive 25 Megabytes per second (Mbps) downstream and 3 Mbps upstream, or less. The primary focus of the design will be fiber, with other options being noted when fiber is not feasible.

The final product will be an engineered design of constructible and shovel-ready project area(s) that will provide service to households and businesses reliably meeting or exceeding 100/100 Mbps speed. The project funded by this grant will be completed well within its 24-month timeline and will lead to expansion of broadband service to County residents.

Click Here for more information.