AUBURN, CA (MPG) - The Placer County Board of Supervisors today approved a contract agreement to expand broadband to foothill communities spanning the Interstate 80 corridor. 

The contract is part of the county's Foothill Broadband Expansion Project. This phase of the project will expand broadband services to approximately 3,825 homes and businesses in the Applegate, Cape Horn, Magra, Dutch Flat and Alta communities. 

The $23,752,674 contract agreement was awarded to Astound Broadband for the period of Jan. 15 to Dec. 31, 2026. Funding for the project was awarded to the county last year by the California Public Utility Commission.

"This is a significant step forward in our efforts to bridge the digital divide in Placer County," said Placer County Chief Information Officer Jarrett Thiessen. "Broadband access is essential for residents and businesses alike, and this project will connect thousands more to the critical resources they need to succeed."

Placer County's commitment to bridging the digital divide is evident in its Broadband Equity Program, launched by the IT Department in 2020. 

This initiative aims to provide broadband access to over 17,000 underserved homes and businesses in rural areas. 

The program aims to tackle broadband access in four phases.

Phase 1 (completed): Enhanced broadband services for 1,500 households in Auburn (Edgehill), North Auburn (Christian Valley) and Penryn.

Phase 2 (completed): Extended to an additional 638 households and businesses in Penryn.

Phase 3 (in progress): Connecting 11,000 homes in Sheridan (completed), Newcastle, Loomis, South Auburn, North Auburn, Meadow Vista and Folsom Lake Estates.

Phase 4: (in progress): Connecting 3,825 households and businesses in Applegate, Cape Horn, Magra, Dutch Flat and Alta communities

The grant funding for these projects develops and improves infrastructure in underserved communities so that residents have better options to purchase broadband for themselves.

Project details and area maps are available online at: https://www.placer.ca.gov/7557/Broadband.