The Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians is developing a tribally owned broadband network in Santa Barbara County, California, aiming to improve community resilience and quality of life through high-speed internet access. The project utilizes 10 Gigabit Symmetrical Passive Optical Network (XGS-PON) technology, which will provide up to five gigabits per second symmetrical service to residents on Chumash Tribal Lands and benefit nearby communities.
Funding for the initiative comes from a broadband infrastructure grant awarded by the California Public Utilities Commission’s Federal Funding Account. The new underground fiber optic network covers approximately 13 miles across more than 1,400 acres of ranch land known as Camp 4—where tribal housing is being developed—and connects to the original Chumash Reservation, where the network’s data center is located at the Chumash Casino Resort.
The network takes advantage of California’s open-access Middle Mile Broadband Initiative (MMBI), upgrading existing backhaul infrastructure to support increased traffic demands.
David Fein, Project Manager for the Chumash Broadband Network, said: “The obvious choice was XGS-PON. Today it is XGS, and already they are testing to 10, 25, and even 50 gigabit PON. So that same 10 Gbps service will be able to be expanded to 25 and to 50, easily, over the next 20 years or so. This will enable our service to continue for the next few generations. This technology was the only way to fit the requirement – we had to bury the fiber, and we wanted it to be resilient, robust, and redundant.”
Passive Optical Network (PON) technology allows efficient distribution of signals using unpowered optical splitters rather than electrical equipment between hubs and customer locations. This reduces maintenance needs and power consumption while minimizing potential points of failure.
Fein explained further: “We decided on underground fiber, where it would be impervious to weather and the fire hazards here. The idea was that we put it in once and it will be there for several generations. We decided to put a half-life on the design of 200 years. We wanted what is available today to take us to 10 generations in the future.”
Most of the installation uses horizontal boring techniques rather than trenching in order to minimize ground disturbance—a key consideration due to cultural sensitivities related to ancestral sites on tribal lands.
Symmetrical gigabit service enables users not only to download but also upload large amounts of data quickly—a feature important for households with multiple devices or those participating in video conferencing or online education. Fein noted: “If you are streaming your entertainment and working from home, with kids on the internet, you are limited. Gigabit service is the only way to guarantee we have bandwidth for today and tomorrow. Every time you turn around it’s another device in your home. Cameras, TVs, tablets, PCs, phones – everything. They are all putting a capacity burden on your connection because the data is being backed up in the cloud.”
Initially operating below its maximum design capacity with symmetrical gigabit offerings that exceed current consumer needs, the network has been designed for future scalability without requiring new fiber installations; upgrades can be made by replacing interface equipment as technology advances.
For more information about broadband development programs supporting projects like this one across California visit https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/industries-and-topics/internet-and-phone/broadband-implementation-for-california/.
