The California Public Utilities Commission recently approved $4.86 million in grant funding to the City of San Luis Obispo for a proposed project that will expand broadband internet access for underserved and unserved communities across San Luis Obispo.
The City was the only public agency in San Luis Obispo County to receive funding.
The proposed San Luis Obispo Broadband Network Project will transform existing infrastructure and allow internet service providers, such as Astound Broadband, to extend their fiber optic networks. This will ultimately benefit over 13,000 residents and will provide access to affordable, reliable, high-speed internet to about 2,000 people in residential locations in SLO that currently have no internet access or only have access to low-speed internet.
“We are focused on real actions that will address digital equity in our community, and this grant funding will allow us to take a big step forward in a meaningful way,” said Mayor Erica A. Stewart in a news release. “With this grant, San Luis Obispo would expand broadband internet access to locations with people, who are currently unserved or underserved. This will address an identified need and lay the groundwork for a more equitable future and a more connected community.”
The City applied for this grant funding to support the proposed project, which will offer broadband internet access to mostly low-income communities in San Luis Obispo that currently have no internet access or only have access to low-speed internet. The total estimated cost for the proposed project is about $6 million. As a part of the grant application, Astound committed an additional $1.2 million to cover the remaining project costs as well pricing for customers below current market rates.
Because the City does not directly provide broadband services to the community, the City Council approved a public-private partnership agreement with the City and Astound Broadband that makes this proposed project possible.
“Astound and the City have previously collaborated to extend state-of-the-art fiber optic internet to hundreds of buildings and this grant allows us to bring high-speed connectivity to many more local residents,” said Astound Business Solutions Senior Director Jeff Buckingham, a Los Osos resident. “San Luis Obispo residents and business deserve access to the same levels of reliable high-speed internet access that more urban areas have come to expect, and this project embodies what a true public-private partnership should be.”
All this work is a direct result of the City’s first-ever Broadband Plan, which was adopted by the City Council in June 2023 and is guiding the creation of reliable and cost-effective broadband internet access for all. The City is currently working on construction design and engineering plans for this project and expects construction to begin in winter 2025. The project will be completed by summer 2026.
“I am very supportive of this grant, which helps build the infrastructure that for decades to come will enable families to connect with loved ones for education, for work, for healthcare needs, and to stay safe in emergencies,” said CPUC President Alice Reynolds. “I want to thank San Luis Obispo for putting this project forward. I’m grateful that they’re stepping up to help to achieve our state’s broadband for all objectives.”
For more information, go to www.slocity.org/broadband.
