December 22, 2011

Level 3 Assists With California Central Valley Broadband Project

The Central Valley Independent Network (CVIN) and the nonprofit Corporation for Education Network Initiatives in California (CENIC) say that Level 3's advanced IP network will serve as an important component in the Central Valley Next Generation Broadband Infrastructure project, a $66.6 million total cost project that is being partly funded with $46.6 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The project will bring advanced communications to rural, underserved areas by creating a 1,300-mile, high-capacity fiber-based infrastructure throughout 18 counties in California's Central Valley. The project is a joint effort of the CVIN and the CENIC, and will utilize over 300-route miles of Level 3 infrastructure as part of the 18-county backbone network. The launch of the project's construction was celebrated earlier this month.

As a result of the project, more than four million people in nearly 2,000 communities will be able to leverage the countless benefits of broadband access to the Internet. Once the project is complete, 64 anchor institutions, including K-12 and higher education providers, county and main libraries, healthcare providers, public safety sites, businesses and residences will connect to the fiber backbone that is at the heart of the project.

Residences and businesses in the project area will be served by CVIN's Vast Networks, a joint enterprise created in 1995 and comprised of affiliates of several independent telephone companies located in central and northern California. CVIN's management has more than 250 team-years of experience in the telecom industry, and many of CVIN's member companies have been serving California's rural market for more than 100 years.