CALIFORNIA MIDDLE MILE

Jul 1, 2024
3 min read

Updated: Nov 22, 2024

Senate Bill 156 was signed back in July 2021 by Governor Newsom of California. The Middle Mile Program was set to bring much-needed infrastructure to support an open-access fiber optic network across the state. $3.25 billion was invested for 10,000 miles of fiber needed to build the necessary infrastructure to bring internet connectivity to homes, businesses, and community institutions. The idea and original bill started due to the need for Californians to access high-speed internet throughout the state. The massive project would be the nation's biggest, headed by the California Department of Technology and the California Department of Transportation (Cal-Trans). Currently, 1 in 5 Californians lack access to high-speed internet.

“Beginning construction on the middle-mile network is a significant step toward broadband equity and providing all Californians the opportunity to access critical information. High-speed internet is much more than a connection – it’s a lifeline that families need to work, learn, and access critical services.”

-Toks Omishakin, California State Transportation Secretary

Construction began in October 2022 on State Route 67 near Poway in San Diego County. Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who was named by the Governor to serve as Infrastructure Advisor to the State of California, joined the event to highlight the substantial federal resources coming to the state for infrastructure investments like broadband networks.

In May 2024, the governor is now proposing budget cuts due to the state's deficit. He proposes cutting $2 billion in public broadband projects. The current legislators are in a heated battle to make budget cuts across the state due to the failing economy. California’s statewide infrastructure, including roads, power, and broadband, is due for massive overhauls with no solutions currently in reach. According to guidelines set out by the U.S. Treasury Department, all projects involving the middle-mile must be complete by December 2026. With $2 billion being proposed in cuts, this leaves a gloom of uncertainty for Californians who are in need of this project. It would leave families and children who are currently underserved unable to have the same access to technology as their peers, potentially widening the current gap between impoverished, middle-class, and upper-class communities.

A 2023 survey compiled by the California Department of Technology found that 91% of Californians have internet access at home, but closing the gap remains a challenge. People with disabilities, who identify as Black or Hispanic, who live in rural communities, or have lower levels of education are generally less likely to have high-speed home internet access. Among those impacted are a significant number of Native American reservations. Respondents cite affordability as the main reason they don’t have high-speed internet at home.

Progress as of July 2024