Solano County, California, Plans for ARPA Broadband Funds

A plan to fund broadband Internet infrastructure with AT&T by Solano County (CA) to the tune of $1 million has stalled, as holdups through the process meant that American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for it could not be allocated before the deadline. According to county staff, however, the ARPA funds will be funneled into other broadband projects around the county. Chief Information Officer Tim Flannigan said the county started a study in 2022 regarding broadband access throughout the county to promote digital equity. The county was poised to work with AT&T, he said, but California Public Utilities Commission holdups meant the money could not be allocated in time. However, county staff identified three other projects that the county can fund with those dollars through Comcast and two other Internet service providers.