Santa Cruz may build the future of California Internet access

There's no industry quite like the summer beach industry in Santa Cruz County, where tourism is an unrivaled economic driver generating an estimated $500 million in direct travel spending annually. Now, Santa Cruz County policymakers are exploring a new strategy to diversify the local economy: Expand Internet access and capacity to attract and keep would-be entrepreneurs, consultants and satellite offices for Silicon Valley tech companies. Santa Cruz County Supervisor Zach Friend is pushing a comprehensive broadband policy overhaul that he hopes will catalyze both regulatory streamlining and new infrastructure.

Sacramento is watching his progress closely for insight on a potential broadband-driven statewide economic development model. As part of this pursuit, the Santa Cruz County board of supervisors in November approved an eight-month timeline to overhaul its broadband infrastructure plans and regulations. Specific areas of focus include permitting fee reductions and a proposed “dig once” ordinance that would make it easier to install new fiber optic cables during other work on area roads or utilities lanes. One particularly large broadband infrastructure project currently awaiting a decision from the California Public Utilities Commission is a 90-mile fiber “backbone” network that would run from Santa Cruz to Soledad. Companies including AT&T have also proposed broadband expansion projects in the region, which could be made easier with reform.