In January 2023, the California Public Utilities Commission awarded $565,000 to Sierra Business Council, on behalf of the Gold Country Broadband Consortium (GCBC) to support four rural counties in advancing broadband deployment.
The GCBC program is funded through the California Advanced Services Fund (CASF) Rural and Urban Regional Broadband Consortia Grant, as part of a $10.3 million award to support 15 regional broadband consortia across California for service over the next three to five years.
Consortia activities are designed to facilitate the deployment of critical broadband infrastructure in California and remove barriers to digital equity. Some of these activities include:
- Engaging with local, regional, and state stakeholders, and consumers to assess needs
- Promoting broadband deployment, cost-saving strategies, and solutions
- Assisting in correcting maps used to identify unserved areas
- Identifying priority project areas
- Assisting with project planning and permitting activities
- Assisting with grant applications to unlock funding opportunities
