LAKEPORT — The third meeting on establishing a broadband network for Lake County and upstate California took place Wednesday in the Board of Supervisors Chambers at the Lake County Courthouse.
Nearly a dozen people were present for the meeting, which was organized by the Upstate California Connect Consortium (UCCC).
At the end of the April meeting, UCCC manager Tom West put discussion on hold after a Mediacom representative provided information.
The UCCC created a route on a map for a potential broadband network that would rely on fiber optic cable, much of which would need to be installed. Shawn Swatosh, a Mediacom senior manager for operations in the county, informed West that much of the company”s network followed the road-like fiber optic map UCCC created.
With this new information, West asked Swatosh to work with Mediacom and the UCCC on utilizing its network to establish the “Lake County backbone” broadband network.
Swatosh gave a presentation Wednesday that showed Mediacom”s existing fiber optic network in the county. Swatosh said Mediacom”s network feeds off of a Level 3 Communications fiber optic pipeline near Upper Lake on Highway 20, which the company then uses to power its fiber optic network around the county.
Swatosh said there are some gaps in the network that Mediacom is working to close, specifically one between Middletown and Cobb on Highway 175; one in North Lakeport between Hill Road and Robin Hill Drive and one on Highway 53 in Clearlake. Swatosh said Mediacom is working on a plan to extend coverage to Spring Valley.
Swatosh said some customers in rural locations are going to be difficult to serve. He brought up the suggestion of using a wireless Internet provider in the county.
West said one of the goals of Wednesday”s meeting was to bring together some of the wireless Internet providers in Lake County to also give a presentation but none were present.
West also briefly updated the attendees about the Regional Middle Mile infrastructure project, which would unite many existing fiber optic networks in upstate California.
He said four of the seven fiber optic providers were interested in forming a limited liability company (LLC) to operate the network.
He said AT&T had not yet expressed interest in participating in the LLC, but had discussed using some of the company”s conduit systems around the upstate area of Highway 36.
He said the four interested companies were Plumas Sierra Rural Electric Cooperative, Cal-Ore Telecommunications, Frontier Communications and IP Networks.
West said the four companies are developing a possible business plan, term sheet and final design critique for the project. West said UCCC and the companies have met twice, once in person and one teleconference. The UCCC and the companies will meet Tuesday for further discussion.
West said a tentative deadline of June 30 was set for deciding to form the LLC.
West said more meetings with Mediacom are planned to coordinate utilizing the company”s existing network, as well as looking into filling in gaps that exist for more rural customers.
The next public meeting takes place in July.
Kevin N. Hume can be reached at kevin.n.hume@gmail.com or call directly 263-5636 ext. 14. Follow on Twitter: @KevinNHume.
