California Tribes Poised to Start Rural Broadband Expansion

(TNS) — The Hoopa Valley and Yurok tribes will each start construction this summer on projects that will lead to significant expansions in Internet access across miles of rural country. The fiber optic installations will begin in the coming months, with the aim to eventually bring high-speed Internet to people across swaths of Northern California.

HOOPA VALLEY TRIBE

Construction will start in the next two months on the SB 156 Middle Mile Project, adding a high-capacity fiber optic network from Willow Creek, through the Hoopa Valley Reservation, to its northern boundary near Weitchpec, a release from the tribe said.

“Reliable Internet isn’t a luxury — it’s a necessity,” said Linnea Jackson, general manager of the Hoopa Valley Public Utilities District in the release.

“This project reflects years of planning and partnership, and it will finally give our tribe and surrounding community the connectivity we need to thrive — for school, work, and health care,” she said.

Construction, which aims to be completed by 2026, will come with some delays along state Route 96 between Willow Creek and Weitchpec, with longer wait times anticipated in some bluff areas. The utility district will share updates on the project.

The release notes the effort is the first joint build agreement between a tribe and the state of California. The 92,000 acres of reservation include steep terrain and forests, meaning wireless coverage is historically unreliable, so the HVPUD aims to install underground lines to boost resiliency.

Telecommunications companies often neglected to build service in rural areas, a situation that in part prompted Senate Bill 156, which allocated $6 billion to expand broadband access after being signed into law in 2021. According to the release, the new infrastructure will provide internet to homes, business and public facilities. Glass Roots Construction will be taking on the work.

YUROK TRIBE

The Yurok Tribe’s Telecommunications Corp. is set to start work this month on a project to add broadband connectivity by building fiber-optic cables from Orick to Crescent City and installing seven new towers throughout the Yurok Tribe’s Reservation.

According to a Facebook post by the Yurok Tribe, construction will be completed by June 2026 and will eventually bring seven towers, including one at the Hunter’s Creek area, the Glen area (near Terwer Creek off of state Route 169), Notchko area, Orick, Mitchell Road (Weitchpec area), Weitchpec (off of Weitchpec School Road), and Two-Snakes Road (Tulley Creek area). Additionally, equipment will be installed in homes.

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