PlumasāSierra Addresses Broadband Challenges in Sierra County

Portola, CA (February 1, 2018) ā Access to affordable broadband is a crucial component to arresting the loss of jobs and population in Sierra and Plumas counties, and promoting rural economic development. PlumasāSierra Telecommunications is addressing the issue, and actively exploring solutions to expand lastāmile coverage in the region, as well as exploring new technologies and avenues to further advance broadband deployment.
PST is a subsidiary of PlumasāSierra Rural Electric Cooperative. Bob Marshall, chief executive officer, explains, “Part of electric and telecommunications cooperatives’ mission is to bring key services to Rural America.
āWe understand, where the internet was once an amenity, it has become a mustāhaveāmuch like electricity in the 1930ās. We are devoted to resolving the issue of poor internet connectivity in the region.”
PST began building a midāmile, fiberāoptic network backbone from Reno, Nevada, north to Susanville and west to Portola, Quincy, and Loyalton, California in 2012, with the help of grants through the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, the California Advanced Services Fund, and a commitment from several local anchor institutions.
To date, PST has constructed more than 200āmiles of fiber optic network, purchased abandoned TV coaxial cable systems and added wireless technologies to help address costs and a variety of challenges created by different topographical elements in the region.
One of PSTās major goals in expanding broadband in the region is to create jobs and boost the economy by allowing existing businesses to expand, while attracting new businesses to the region.
While the company has been able to construct fiber connections to many businesses, fiber construction to rural homes is generally not economically feasible, because of lack of home density and other challenges.