MENDOCINO Co., 4/23/17 — After more than two years of legislative discussion, the north coast’s Assemblyman Jim Wood has announced an agreement with Caltrans over the installation of broadband conduit during Caltrans projects. According to a press release from Wood sent last week, Caltrans has agreed to establish a policy by July 1 that would require the agency to install broadband conduit in priority corridors throughout the state when undertaking trenching projects.
The agreement will create a “dig once” policy, which means that the agency will install conduit for broadband while conducting planned road work. This can significantly reduce the future costs of installing broadband cable by creating economies of scale, and facilitate greater broadband access throughout the state. The issue is especially important on the North Coast, where many rural communities lack broadband access.
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