California Readies First Fiber for Middle-Mile Network

California plans to deploy the first fiber in the state’s middle-mile network Thursday, said Mark Monroe, deputy director-California Technology Department (CDT) Broadband Middle-Mile Initiative, Wednesday at a virtual California Broadband Council meeting. The state transportation department will install fiber along California State Route 67, which was one of the 18 pilot projects announced in November (see 2111170072). Thursday’s event “marks our flag in the ground that we are moving forward with this big project,” said state Chief Information Officer Liana Bailey-Crimmins, the council’s chair. Monroe applauded the state for putting fiber in the ground about a year after California enacted its $6 billion broadband law. It “bodes well” for the state meeting federal deadlines, said the CDT official. California’s application to NTIA for broadband equity, access and deployment funding, submitted Aug. 12, moved to formal review Sept. 1 after “several rounds of updates based on NTIA feedback,” CPUC Communications Division Director Rob Osborn told the council. The CPUC started drafting a scope of work for the required five-year action plan and is analyzing the FCC’s broadband fabric for serviceable locations, said Osborn: The CPUC plans to provide feedback on the fabric through the bulk challenge process.