Pleasanton, California — California has nearly tripled the stretch of state-built high-speed internet infrastructure that is ready to connect with local providers, a milestone in the state's campaign to close the digital divide.
Governor Gavin Newsom said the Middle-Mile Broadband Network's operational reach grew from 423 miles to 1,250 miles. The state is building the open-access fiber backbone to deliver fast, reliable, and affordable internet to communities that lack it, and officials describe the project as on track to become the largest of its kind in the country.
The newly operational segment forms a continuous spine running from San Jose south along the Central Coast to Los Angeles, east to Barstow, and north through an interconnection point to Modoc County in the state's far northeast. The initiative has now finished or begun active construction on 5,549 miles of an 8,100-mile system, about 70 percent of the total.
California's Chief Information Officer and Department of Technology Director Chris Given said reaching 1,250 operational miles proves the network has moved "from construction to commerce," sending a signal to last-mile builders and commercial providers that the infrastructure they need is ready. The state has also directed roughly $2 billion through a Federal Funding Account grant program for last-mile projects in underserved communities.
