South Valley Internet and LCB Communications Receive Multiple CPUC Grants to Bridge Digital Divide

More than $30M in funding to Bring High-Speed Internet to Over 1,300 Underserved Households in Central California Counties

MORGAN HILL, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#BalancedAccess—South Valley Internet Incorporated (SVI), the first provider with over 30 years of experience delivering top-tier network and local internet access to the communities of Morgan Hill, San Martin and Gilroy, CA, and LCB Communications (LCB), a licensed CLEC operator, announce today that they have been awarded two grants by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to bring enhanced broadband Internet and telecommunications services to multiple underserved communities throughout San Benito County.

The first grant, which is memorialized in the CPUC Resolution T-17792, approves funding for a broadband Fiber to the Home (FTTH) project by SVI in the amount of just over $1.7 Million from the California Advanced Services Fund (CASF) Line Extension Program. The funds are to aid the development of the Southside Road Project in Hollister, CA, which will provide high-speed internet service from speeds of one gigabit per second (Gbps) symmetrical to 194 households, serving 740 residents including 130 school-aged children. The project area includes three low-income communities including The Hollister Migrant Housing Center, The San Benito County Farm Bureau, and The Community Services Development Corporation Southside Mobile Park. As a result, SVI will provide free broadband internet service to residents for at least five years.

The second grant, represented in CPUC Resolution T-17817, approves funding for LCB Communications LLC (LCB) to construct a broadband infrastructure network in the Aromas-San Juan area. Nearly $30 Million dollars was awarded to construct a hybrid middle-mile and last-mile broadband network in portions of San Benito, Santa Cruz, and Monterey Counties to provide fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) service to 1,038 unserved locations and fixed wireless access (FWA) to 63 unserved locations, totaling 1,101 currently underserved locations. When complete, SVI/LCB will offer speeds up to 5 Gbps symmetrical, while FWA will offer up to 600 Mbps download and 100 Mbps upload, delivering low-income broadband plans for just $15 per month for five years.

“The team at SVI/LCB are thrilled to have received these grants and could not have done it without the help of Balanced Access, a non-profit organization created to eliminate the digital divide in South Santa Clara and San Benito Counties and the aid of the Rotary Club of San Juan Bautista,” comments Elise Brentnall, President and COO of South Valley Internet. “Their combined support, expertise and effort to identify and guide us through the process has and will make a huge difference for the communities we love dearly. SVI has been providing high speed broadband to our customers for over 30 years and now have the opportunity to make a difference to those who need it most – Helping the communities you serve is smart business. We look forward to changing the lives of those who live in more than 1300 households throughout San Benito, NE Monterey and SE Santa Cruz Counties.”

Each resolution represents a significant investment in broadband infrastructure for the Residents of San Benito, Northeast Monterey and South East Santa Cruz Counties, and demonstrates California’s commitment to expanding high-speed internet access to unserved communities. For SVI/LCB, the funding will make a positive impact as the companies expand their network and service capabilities to bring free and/or low-cost, high-speed internet to previously unserved communities.

To learn more about South Valley Internet and its CLEC partner company LCB Communications, please visit www.garlic.com.

About South Valley Internet Incorporated

South Valley Internet (SVI) is a locally owned and operated Telecommunications Company headquartered in San Martin, California. For over 25 years, the company has continued to provide communities of South Santa Clara county and the city of San Juan Bautista, with competitive high-speed connectivity. With a mission to deliver unparalleled customer service, value and innovation, SVI offers competitive broadband speeds, pricing and content to better serve its customers and communities, disrupting the incumbent-dominated telecommunications landscape. Offering a diverse portfolio of top-tier solutions for both home and business phone and internet requirements, SVI stands as a leading provider of innovative services in the region.

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