Assemblymember Garcia Applauds $13.8 Million Broadband Grant for Imperial County

(Sacramento, CA) - Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia (D-Coachella) applauds a $13,834,949 grant award for Imperial County last mile broadband infrastructure. The Golden State Connect Authority's Imperial County Broadband Network project funding request was approved by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) on July 11, 2024, supporting the state's Broadband for All commitment.

"We have been working to bridge the digital divide in our rural, underserved community for years and are excited to see this $13.8 million last mile broadband infrastructure investment awarded for Imperial County, an area where it is most needed. Access to high-speed internet is a daily necessity, vital to education, the economy, health, safety, and emergency services. This grant will go a long way in helping us connect our community and improve opportunities for residents," said Assemblymember Garcia.

Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia, member of the Assembly Communications and Conveyance Committee, has been a steadfast champion of legislative efforts to bridge the digital divide. In 2017, he passed AB 1665, the Internet for All Now Act, which made improvements and extended $300 million into the California Advanced Services Fund for broadband infrastructure projects. Garcia also served on the California Department of Education's Closing the Digital Divide Task Force and advocated for the state's historic $6 billion California broadband investment in the 2021 budget.