Broadband Deployment Getting a Boost in San Diego

Supported by a $450,000 grant from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), the San Diego Imperial Regional Broadband Consortium (SDIRBC) is embarking on a three-year plan to expand deployment and adoption of broadband specifically for education, health and safety, and economic development within San Diego and Imperial counties.

The SDIRBC is currently using the $150,000 allotted for the first year to study the unique challenges of rural San Diego, identifying key regions where adoption and access is low. So far, consortium leaders have identified Warner Springs, Julian and a strip of tribal land in east San Diego County as focus areas. The group is continuing to map disconnected and low-adoption areas in Imperial County. In the fall, SDIRBC will work with the Imperial County Office of Education to distribute surveys regarding broadband access in back-to-school packages for new students, while conducting other measuring methods. Bringing access to remote and isolated communities in these regions is a priority for the group, according to SDIRBC Project Leader Christina Luhn.