Who is impacted?

In 2020, Race Communications applied for a California Advanced Services Fund (CASF) grant for a fiber optic network project surrounding Nevada City, California. This is an area where the AT&T DSL network is being terminated, and no cable or fixed wireless service is available.

The project was insufficient from the start as Race just submitted a cookie cutter application using the incorrect data (at the time) that appeared on the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) Broadband Map. It didn't bother to survey the area for actual need of access. Hence hundreds of households (blue area on the map) will never be connected as (1) Race will not receive funding for those connections, and (2) another internet service provider will never go into those adjoining neighborhoods which are sandwiched between another provider's funded area.

What is at stake?

In December 2021, the CPUC awarded Race a grant; providing 100% of the costs associated with the project's build. The grant stipulated that the project was to be completed within a year's timeframe. As of March 2024, it is now well over two years later. Race is lying to the CPUC on why the project is delayed; blaming both downed poles from the early 2023 snowstorm, and that permitting is taking too long. Not only does the project not appear on Race's website, no network engineering drawings have been submitted to the County's Planning Department for permitting.

Why is now the time to act?

Nevada County has joined Golden State Connect Authority (GSCA) which was formed by Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC) – a 40-county organization that lobbies for rural areas. This joint powers of authority coalition has positioned itself to increase access to reliable, affordable high-speed internet for the residents and businesses in those counties. In the fall of 2023, GSCA applied for a $74M Federal Funding Account (FFA) California state grant to build an open-access (meaning multiple providers offering internet access) fiber optic internet access network in neighborhoods located southwest of Grass Valley and west of Hwy 49 over to Penn Valley. Race's unbuilt Nevada City project area plus adjacent neighborhoods were not (and could not) be included in the GSCA project grant application.

This petition asks the CPUC Commissioners to terminate the $18.3M grant funding for Race's long delayed Gigafy Nevada City project, and then transfer that funding to the GSCA Nevada County Broadband Network open-access project; providing more choices in our community in more neighborhoods.

Please sign this petition, and most importantly tell the CPUC Commissioners why this is important to you personally. This petition will be forwarded to the CPUC.