Santa Ynez Chumash Connects 100 Homes to Fiber Internet at $95 a Month
Updated
Updated · newspress.com · Aug 20
Santa Ynez Chumash Connects 100 Homes to Fiber Internet at $95 a Month
1 articles · Updated · newspress.com · Aug 20
Summary
The tribe said its first high-speed fiber connection is live on reservation land, with 28 homes already online and the remaining homes due to connect within weeks.
Cal.net is burying 13 miles of broadband cable after residents faced unreliable service and monthly bills as high as $145 from existing providers.
Reservation households will pay a standard $95 monthly rate, while some can qualify for a $40 plan and receive a free trial before deciding whether to switch.
The project began construction last October and is funded by California and federal broadband grants after tribal planning started in 2022 to improve service in an underserved area.
Could the Chumash tribe's new underground fiber network become the ultimate blueprint for erasing the digital divide on rural reservations nationwide?
How will the sudden arrival of high-speed internet fundamentally transform daily life and economic opportunities on the historically disconnected Santa Ynez Reservation?
With federal grants covering the initial build, what hidden costs might tribal residents face to keep their new fiber network running long-term?