The Golden State Finance Authority (GSFA) was established by the Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC) to expand the organization’s capabilities as a service provider across its 40 member counties. Tilson was selected to work in close collaboration with GSFA, RCRC, and their respective counties to develop strategic plans for broadband that would provide rural Californian communities with reliable, high-speed broadband internet.
The 40 rural counties represented by RCRC cover approximately 60% of California with geography that includes forests, mountains, coasts, deserts, farmland, and vineyards.
Many of the counties represented by RCRC are unserved or underserved by broadband infrastructure and lack access to critical internet, each with their own unique issues to overcome. These rural areas often face significant infrastructure challenges due to geography and low population densities, impacting broadband deployment costs.
Having limited or no internet connection hinders business recruitment activities that could result in much-needed jobs and investments for these communities and prevents businesses from reaching their full potential. In addition, poor internet access makes distance learning and online education difficult for students and their families. Broadband is also critical for life saving emergency services as witnessed during wildfires in the county of Butte. A loss of broadband signal during the fires resulted in residents not receiving emergency notifications, putting them in serious danger.
Tilson’s broadband consulting team performed 22 feasibility studies providing analysis and roadmaps on funding mechanisms, network design, policy suggestions, and smart technologies for a future-focused fiber optic deployment strategy to GSFA.
Tilson’s consultants analyzed the attributes unique to each stakeholder, created suggestions for broadband applications, and distilled complicated attributes of the broadband landscape into an easy-to-understand plan.
For counties hit by wildfires like Butte, a framework for a strong, resilient broadband program was a key goal for the rebuilding efforts. For the feasibility study, Tilson acknowledged the amount of destruction wrought by the wildfires and came up with a specialized plan to get them on track for a broadband deployment strategy.
These strategic studies and plans will positively poise RCRC’s member counties to enter into competitive funding arenas and execute fiber infrastructure projects to successful completion and deployment. Once implemented, communities across California will have access to dependable, state-of-the-art broadband for their homes, businesses, schools, and municipalities.
Tilson’s mission is to build communications and information infrastructure that reaches all Americans. Our broadband consulting team partners with public and private sector community leadership to plan, design, and maintain viable and cost-effective broadband networks. We have a deep understanding of networks and will lead you through the full broadband implementation lifecycle, tailored to meet and exceed your project goals. Contact Tilson’s Broadband Consulting team to learn more.
