Plumas-Sierra Telecommunications (PST) is the telecommunications subsidiary of Plumas-Sierra Rural Electric Cooperative (PSREC). Together, we’re a member-owned cooperative family rooted in Plumas County on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. We exist for 1 reason: to keep our rural communities connected to the outside world with reliable, fair-priced services that meet real needs.
PSREC, based in Portola, California, is a member-owned electric distribution utility serving more than 7,700 member-owners across Plumas, Lassen, and Sierra counties in California and parts of Washoe County in Nevada.
Like any true cooperative, PSREC is controlled by the membership through an elected seven-person board of directors. That local ownership shapes everything we do:
- Practical decisions
- Long-term thinking
- Service that puts people before hype
Telecommunications services are offered through our wholly owned subsidiary, Plumas-Sierra Telecommunications. PST formed when PSREC—already an innovative, community-driven provider—joined the National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative (NRTC), strengthening our ability to bring modern connectivity to places that big providers often overlook.
Our Mission
Our goal is simple and steady:
Provide high-reliability services at fair and reasonable costs, while improving quality of life for our member-owners, customers, and local communities.
We’ve always believed rural communities deserve the same essential access as urban ones. We don’t chase trends—we solve problems, build infrastructure, and stay accountable to the people we serve.
Our Story: Connecting Rural Communities
Early Beginnings
Just as rural America lived without electricity in the 1930s, many rural families were still without television decades later. Radio and print were the main lifelines for news, weather, and entertainment. PST stepped in early:
- 1987: PST began offering C-Band satellite TV to underserved rural customers
- 1994 to 2011: Through partnership with NRTC, PST provided DIRECTV satellite service to local communities
Paving the Digital Highway
When the internet became essential, we didn’t wait for someone else to build it:
- 1995: PST launched the first dial-up internet service in the Quincy and Portola areas
- 2003: As broadband became a necessity, PST brought high-speed capability to local customers
- 2005: Partnering again with NRTC, PST delivered broadband satellite internet via WildBlue, installing over 5,000 customers nationwide in the first year and becoming the nation’s top WildBlue provider
Local Service Expansion
We expanded options on the ground, not just on paper:
- 2007: Launched Plumas-Sierra Wireless, a new high-speed local internet option
- 2008 to 2010: Served as an Authorized Retailer of Verizon Wireless
Closing the Digital Divide With Fiber
Real rural connectivity requires real infrastructure. We built it.
- July 2010: With grants from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act and the California Advanced Services Fund, PST began constructing a 198-mile fiber optic middle-mile backbone:
- From Reno, Nevada north to Susanville, California
- West to Quincy, California
- This regional middle-mile network was a collaborative effort with multiple partners and remains the secure core link to the outside world
Community Collaboration & Anchor Institutions
We didn’t guess what the region needed—we worked with it directly.
PST and the Plumas County Office of Education, supported by the Center of Economic Development and CSU Chico, organized broadband deployment meetings to:
- Identify broadband needs
- Gather commitments from anchor institutions
By late 2013, PST began serving anchor institutions including:
- Schools, colleges, and libraries
- County offices and hospitals
- Herlong Army Depot and businesses across Plumas, Lassen, and Sierra counties
Fiber expansion continues steadily today as businesses and institutions request service.
Serving the Community Today
Community Wi-Fi Hotspots
PST continues its commitment through public Wi-Fi hotspots. To date, 15 community hotspots are active in Quincy, Graeagle, Cromberg, Portola, Loyalton, Herlong, and Susanville.
Public Sector Partnerships
We work shoulder-to-shoulder with local agencies to improve regional resilience:
- With the Plumas County Sheriff’s Office, PST upgraded the PCSO microwave system and added redundancy to our fiber network.
- The Lassen County Sheriff’s Office has expressed interest in similar improvements.
Advancing Regional Connectivity
Our expanded fiber and improved microwave presence on regional mountaintops allow PST to support cellular providers with high-capacity backhaul. The result is clear and measurable:
- 4G cellular data service is now widely available across the region.
- We will keep developing partnerships and expanding service as the business grows.