Broadband Updates from the California Public Utilities Commission
BEAD Initial Proposal and Location Data Access

The CPUC submitted the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Initial Proposal to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) in late December. The two-volume Initial Proposal (Volume I and Volume II) outlines California’s proposed rules and guidelines for implementing the BEAD program.

A no-cost NTIA Tier E License provides access to the BEAD underlying serviceable location data to local governments, Tribes and tribal entities, and non-profit organizations. Find more information on Tier E Licenses at How to Get Location Data for BEAD. More program background can be found on the CPUC's BEAD website and for program news, subscribe for BEAD updates.
Loan Loss Reserve Program’s First Funding Cycle in March 2024
The CPUC has adopted a new program that will help finance publicly-owned broadband infrastructure projects. The Broadband Loan Loss Reserve Fund provides a credit enhancement to assist recipients in obtaining more favorable borrowing rates and terms for infrastructure owned by a public agency, Tribal, or non-profit organization. There will be three funding cycles per year beginning in March 2024. More information is available on the program website here.
Broadband Public Housing Account Proposed Changes

On January 29, 2024, the Commission issued a Proposed Decision for the California Advanced Services Fund (CASF) Broadband Public Housing Account. The program provides grants and loans to support the deployment of free broadband infrastructure and adoption programs for residents of eligible low-income communities including but not limited to, publicly supported housing developments, and other housing developments or mobile home parks with low-income residents. The proposed changes would:
  • Expand eligibility of “other housing developments” and mobile home parks with low- income residents;
  • Expand project eligibility and the scope of costs eligible for reimbursement in low-income communities that lack access to free broadband service; and
  • Require tenant protection for applicants other than publicly supported and tribal housing developments and farmworker housing.

March 7, 2024, is the earliest date when the Commission may vote to adopt the Proposed Decision.
Extended Deadline for Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program Round Two
The NTIA is extending the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program Round Two Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). The deadlines identified in Section D.4. of the second NOFO have been extended to 11:59 pm Eastern Time on March 22, 2024, to provide potential applicants with more time to develop competitive project proposals and project consortia.
Eligible Entities that previously submitted applications may submit revised applications (entire application must be resubmitted) on or before the new submission deadline. Learn more on the website here.
Middle Mile Monthly Map Updates  

The California Department of Technology (CDT) has launched a new map update log for the Middle Mile Broadband Initiative (MMBI), which can be viewed here. The updates are planned to be published once a month at the end of the month. Three views are available for viewing the CDT’s open-access middle-mile map updates: 
  1. Table of changes by county
  2. ArcGIS interactive map that shows the before and after
  3. Downloadable data (through ArcGIS) where entities can download the files.
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