State approves $32M to expand internet access in SF, Oakland, Fremont

San Francisco, Oakland and Fremont were awarded a combined $32 million from the California Public Utilities Commission last week to expand internet access to underserved communities.

The cities are among the recipients of the first round of funding from the $2 billion Last Mile Federal Funding Account Grant Program. Since the application cycle closed last September, the utilities commission said it received 484 grant applications that totaled more than $4.6 billion in requests.

The broadcast expansion will help underserved residents by giving them more options for internet, and it will also supply internet to people who are currently unserved.

Among Bay Area cities that received funding this round, Fremont intends to expand access to the largest unserved population at about 6,820 residents with $7.6 million.

"Enhancing this critical utility will promote digital equity in underserved areas of the community and create a broadband-rich environment to support local economic growth," said Sanford Taylor, the city's information technology services director.

Meanwhile, Oakland is set to receive just over $14 million that will go toward expanding broadband in West Oakland, Downtown, Fruitvale and East Oakland. A majority of the project encompasses low-income neighborhoods, including an estimated 3,474 residents.

Leadership in the city of Oakland celebrated the grant approval July 11, including Mayor Sheng Thao, who called it a "significant milestone" toward a more connected city.

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Just over $10 million will go toward San Francisco for an estimated 5,771 residents in Bayview, Chinatown and the Tenderloin. The city also proposed providing free internet to residents in affordable housing, single room occupancy hotels and previously unserved locations, as well as to small, disadvantaged businesses.

Release of the funding is contingent on completed California Environmental Quality Act reviews, which are outlined in the July 11 resolution approved by the public utilities commission.