High-speed internet access remains a challenge for many Californians, particularly in rural, Tribal, and low-income communities. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has been working to address this issue through the Last Mile Federal Funding Account (FFA), a program aimed at expanding broadband infrastructure directly to homes and neighborhoods lacking reliable service.
The FFA is part of California’s larger Broadband for All initiative. Its focus is on the “last mile” of broadband infrastructure—the portion that connects statewide networks to individual residences, businesses, and community institutions. While the Middle Mile Broadband Initiative builds the backbone across the state, the Last Mile program ensures that local communities can actually connect to it.
California allocated nearly $2 billion to this effort through Senate Bill 156. The program also provides planning support, technical assistance, and financing options for local governments, Tribes, and community organizations.
Since its launch, nearly $1.23 billion in investments have been made across all 58 California counties through two rounds of FFA awards. These investments are leading to tangible improvements: students can attend virtual classes from home, families have better access to telehealth services, and small businesses can operate more efficiently.
Many funded projects include affordability measures such as low-cost plans and participation in CPUC’s California LifeLine or similar programs for low-income households. A majority of projects serve disadvantaged and underserved communities; some are located in high fire threat districts where underground fiber construction enhances both connectivity and public safety. More than half of awarded projects connect directly to California’s Middle Mile network.
One notable project is underway in Los Angeles County, where construction has begun on a 125-mile fiber network led by the Gateway Cities Council of Governments and Plenary Broadband Infrastructure. This $104 million project will connect 24 City Halls across southeast Los Angeles with support from both the CPUC’s FFA and the Department of Technology’s Middle-Mile Broadband Initiative.
“This is the best, and in our communities, we’re not used to getting the best,” said Hector De La Torre, Executive Director of the Gateway Cities Council of Governments, as quoted in LAist. “We’re used to getting what’s left.”
In Tulare County in Central Valley, over $36 million in grants were awarded for projects expected to bring internet access to more than 40,000 residents across several communities including Alpaugh, Dinuba, Pixley, and Terra Bella. Local collaboration extends beyond county lines as Tulare works with neighboring Fresno, Kings, Madera, and Merced counties on regional broadband efforts.
The CPUC continues to encourage public engagement by offering updates on these programs through its Statewide Broadband Updates form available on its website.
According to CPUC representatives: “Access to high-speed internet shapes nearly every part of modern life. It affects how people learn, work, stay safe, and connect with one another.” The commission emphasizes that expanding broadband infrastructure is an investment not only in technology but also in people and their communities.
As construction progresses statewide and new areas gain connectivity through continued funding rounds, officials expect these impacts will benefit Californians well into the future.
