California Public Utilities Commission
505 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco

_________________________________________________________________________________FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PRESS RELEASE

Contact: Terrie Prosper, 415.703.1366, news@cpuc.ca.gov Docket #: Res T- 17246

CPUC APPROVES MATCHING GRANT FOR HIGH-SPEED
INTERNET TO LASSEN COUNTY

SAN FRANCISCO, December 17, 2009 - The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) today approved a $166,911 grant from the California Advanced Services Fund (CASF) to bring high-speed Internet broadband services to underserved areas of south eastern Lassen County.

This grant, which represents 10 percent of the total cost of the project, is contingent upon approval for 80 percent matching grants from the federal broadband stimulus portion ($7.2 billion) of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

The Plumas-Sierra Telecommunications (PST) Last Mile project would deploy fixed wireless networks using a combination of licensed 2.5 GHz and 3.65 GHz WiMAX frequencies and 700 MHz and 900 MHz frequencies to deliver high-speed broadband services to 3,994 households and 453 businesses in underserved communities surrounding Doyle, Herlong, Janesville, Milford, the Sierra Army Depot in Lassen County, and Susanville. PST would use 700 Mghz spectrum, which is particularly effective at penetrating densely wooded areas and concrete structures and buildings.

"The rural communities in Lassen County have been enduring severe unemployment and poverty," said CPUC Commissioner Rachelle Chong. "With this project, households and businesses in this region would have access to broadband service and jobs may be created."

On July 9, 2009, the CPUC established a new schedule for filing, review, and approval of CASF broadband fund applications to allow project sponsors to simultaneously apply for an 80 percent match from federal ARRA stimulus.

On December 20, 2007, the CPUC established the two-year, $100 million CASF to provide 40 percent matching infrastructure grants to broadband providers willing to put up the matching 60 percent of funds and to serve the nearly 2,000 California communities that are currently unserved and underserved by broadband. Of that $100 million, $57,442,797 in broadband infrastructure grants have so far been approved. Today's approval brings the total to $57,609,708. Applications for CASF grants are still being accepted by the CPUC.

For information on the Governor's Broadband Taskforce, please visit www.calink.ca.gov/taskforce/aboutus.asp.

For more information on communications issues, please visit www.CalPhoneInfo.com.

For more information on the CPUC, please visit www.cpuc.ca.gov.

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