Expediting access to the internet for all residents is the goal of the County of Nevada’s “Last-Mile Broadband Grant Program.” With the Board of Supervisors’ allocation of $250,000, County staff, working with the Sierra Business Council, seeks applications from internet service providers to support distance learning, remote working, and tele-medicine.
“Reliable internet access is critical to our economy. Getting the community connected is a full-court press. With this Last-Mile grant, the 800 new connections out in Peardale, and the new Distance Learning Center & Youth Hub connecting students to the internet at the Fairgrounds, we’re expanding service where it’s most needed,” said Board Chair Dan Miller.
The “Last-Mile” grant program, which the Board established in 2019, is funded with Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) dollars intended to promote economic development. This will be the second round of “Last-Mile” grants. In April 2020, the Board awarded $52,900 to Exwire, Inc. (now Oasis Broadband) and $124,209 to Nevada County Fiber in the grant’s initial round. Both projects are on schedule to be completed by June.
“’Last-mile’ refers to the final leg connecting the broadband service provider’s network to the end-use customer’s home. In a rural county like ours, there are significant service gaps, so these funds will be targeted to areas that may be unlikely to receive broadband service without grant funding,” said Steve Monaghan, the County’s Chief Information Officer.
Applications are due March 1, 2021 at 5:00PM. Award decisions are expected by April 27, 2021. For more information and links to the application guidelines and application form, visit: https://www.mynevadacounty.com/2894/Broadband-Grant-Applications-2021
Any inquiries regarding this Request for Applications (RFA) can be directed to Kari Sinoff, Project Manager, Sierra Business Council, ksinoff@sierrabusiness.org
