A fiber to the premise project for San Bernardino County – largest yet – is scheduled to go in front of the California Public Utilities Commission in May. A draft resolution was published on Friday, which proposes to award $29 million to Race Telecommunications from the California Advanced Services Fund (CASF) to build an FTTP system in and around the San Bernardino County communities of Phelan, Piñon Hills, Oak Hills and Hesperia.
As designed, it would pass 8,400 homes, which is “the most households ever given access by a CASF-subsidized last-mile project”, according to the draft. Race is projecting a 68% take rate, which amounts to 5,700 subscribers. Another 85 potential business and institutional customers will also be reachable via the system. The subsidy comes out to $3,400 per premise, which is in line with past CASF-funded FTTP projects. In the past two years, the CPUC has approved $48 million for eleven FTTP proposals totalling 12,400 homes, a $3,900 average all up. On a project basis, the median subsidy $7,000.
As with its past CASF-subsidised projects – Race has received eight CASF grants and completed work on four – its plan calls for offering symmetrical gigabit service for $60 a month to residences. Businesses would pay $200 for 100 Mbps service. There’s no mention of data caps for either.
The Phelan project also marked another first for the CASF project. After Race submitted its initial application for a $48 million subsidy, Ultimate Internet Access – another ISP with a CASF track record – submitted a competing proposal, which would have cost less than half that. During the ensuing months of back and forth discussions, the project area was adjusted and costs were trimmed. Race came back initially with a $23 million subsidy request, but after further changes to project plans and service area the final tab ended up at $29 million.
