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Work is expected to begin later this spring in Sonora on a federal stimulus-funded project that aims to improve high-speed Internet access in rural areas. City Engineer Gerard Fuccillo informed the Sonora City Council at Monday’s meeting the main encroachment permit has been issued for the installation of underground fiber optic cables along about 4.5 miles of the city’s streets.
The act provided $7.2 billion in stimulus money for projects to increase high-speed Internet access, particularly in rural or underserved areas. CVIN is partnering with the Corporation for Education Network Initiatives of California, largely known for providing high-speed Internet services to public education institutions, for the project that intends to boost access in 18 Central Valley counties, including Tuolumne and Calaveras. Fuccillo told the City Council that work in Sonora is planned to begin sometime in late spring or early summer with a deadline for completion in August. Portions of 22 city streets will be affected through the duration of the project. Installation of the underground fiber optic cable will be accomplished mainly through open-trench construction in unpaved areas and directional drilling along streets and sidewalks. Fuccillo said many of the plans he reviewed do not seem to account for the underlying rocky terrain in the area — rather than the softer soil like in the Central Valley — so he expects that a large portion of the cable will have to be trenched into paved areas. County governments are also working closely with CVIN to have the cable installed in areas around Tuolumne and Calaveras. Officials say the added infrastructure will offer increased Internet speeds for public schools and community colleges, as well as adding more reliable service for public safety institutions and hospitals. Once in place, CVIN could also offer high-speed services to individuals and sell bandwidth to other Internet service providers in the area. Duke York, with public works in the Tuolumne County Community Resources Agency, said the county has yet to issue permits for installing the cable along about 18 miles of its roads, but that’s expected to happen soon. “The plan checks are done and they’ve paid their deposits,” he said. “It’s pretty much a done deal.” Caltrans and CVIN are still negotiating a contract for any work being done on state highways, York said. He added that the increased Internet bandwidth could help attract businesses that rely on high-speed services to set up shop. “There’s a lot of industries where all they need is a good high-speed Internet line so they can do business, which will make us a lot more competitive in that area,” he said. Calaveras County is still in the plan review phase, but that process is close to its end and a permit is expected to be issued shortly after, said Robert Packinger, of the county’s Public Works Department. Work will be done along about 33 miles of roads and Packinger said CVIN has indicated they would like to begin within about a month. He said the contract the county awarded estimates a timeframe of about 150 days for construction, but it’s expected to take less time than that. |