The Broadband Infrastructure Grant (BIG) Identifies and Connects Schools to CalREN

CENIC’s current last-mile efforts for K-12 are funded through the Broadband Infrastructure Grant (BIG) program, which was created in 2019 by Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA) and the California State Legislature to identify and implement fiber-based broadband solutions for K-12 schools lacking broadband connectivity. The BIG program emerged from CENIC’s success in supporting the Broadband Infrastructure Improvement Grant (BIIG) project. As a result of CENIC’s work on these two state-funded initiatives, close to 500 schools and 200,000 students have gained access to the California Research and Education Network (CalREN), predominantly by obtaining circuits that connect schools to their local school districts or County Offices of Education. CENIC and its partners have worked to connect educational institutions to CalREN, a high-capacity broadband network with more than 8,000 miles of fiber and over 100 peering relationships. Founded by the state’s research universities, today CalREN serves more than 20 million Californians, including the vast majority of K-20 students and educators. CalREN responds to the needs of faculty, staff, students, and associated research groups to facilitate excellence in science, education, and government and private sector collaboration and innovation.