California regulators approved nearly $53 million in new grants to expand broadband access in some of the state’s most underserved rural and Tribal communities, continuing a push to close persistent connectivity gaps.
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) approved the funding through the California Advanced Services Fund (CASF), directing more than $49.9 million to San Diego County’s two Tribal-led broadband projects and more than $3 million to two rural projects in Humboldt, Inyo, and Siskiyou counties.
The four projects are expected to bring high-speed broadband access to more than 1,000 previously unserved locations in rural areas and on Tribal lands, according to California’s announcement late last week.
“High-speed internet is essential infrastructure for everyday life,” said CPUC President John Reynolds. “These projects will meet the work, education, healthcare, and public safety needs of these rural and Tribal communities well into the future, bringing us closer to achieving our state’s Broadband for All objectives.”
The two California Tribal broadband awards accounted for the bulk of the funding:
- Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel: Up to $24,970,970 to build a Tribal-owned network serving 182 unserved locations through new middle-mile and last-mile fiber infrastructure.
- Pauma Band of Luiseño Indians: Up to $24,983,405 to build a Tribal-owned network serving 383 unserved locations using a mix of fiber and fixed wireless technology.
Both Tribes will own and operate their networks through newly formed Tribal internet service providers and will connect to California’s statewide, open-access Middle-Mile Broadband Network.
The remaining awards went to two smaller rural projects. Stimulus Technologies of California received up to $706,754 to deliver fixed wireless service to 46 unserved locations in Darwin, California, while the Siskiyou Telephone Company received up to $2,299,633 to expand fiber and fixed wireless service to 417 unserved locations across Siskiyou and Humboldt counties.
Several of the funded projects also serve communities in or near high-fire-threat areas, which officials said would help improve emergency communications.
The CASF program funds broadband infrastructure in unserved areas of California as part of the state’s broader Broadband for All initiative. With this round, the CPUC has now awarded $67,641,495 for eight projects from its October 31, 2025 infrastructure grant application cycle.
The new grants follow other recent momentum for Tribal broadband connectivity in California. In April, California’s Middle-Mile Broadband Network connected its first customer, the Bishop Paiute Tribe, via a 423-mile fiber segment running from Barstow to the Nevada border.
Tribal communities nationwide also gained access to new federal funding options in June, when the National Telecommunications and Information Administration opened applications for two grant programs worth a combined $790 million.
