Redwood Rural Reach Project Holds Meetings for Broadband Plans

Rural residents across Humboldt and Trinity counties have until the end of this week to participate in community planning meetings for the Redwood Rural Reach (R3) project, a broadband initiative aimed at identifying internet dead zones across 23 communities ahead of state and federal funding applications.

Public Meetings in Willow Creek and Junction City

The R3 project team is holding public sessions from 4 to 6 p.m. to gather localized data on service gaps, frequent outages, and billing costs. Wednesday’s meeting takes place at the Willow Creek Community Services District on Willow Road, serving residents from both Humboldt and Trinity counties. Thursday’s session is scheduled at the North Fork Grange on Dutch Creek Road in Junction City. Planners state that attendees do not require any technical background to contribute their experiences.

“The people who live and work in these communities understand their broadband challenges better than anyone,” said Brian Court, deputy chief information officer for Brightscape Networks, the technical lead for the project. No specific infrastructure deployment has been chosen in advance. Fiber, wireless, existing lines, and satellite remain viable technical architectures.

California Builds Middle Mile Fiber Backbone

California is currently constructing an 8,209-mile fiber-optic internet backbone known as the “middle mile” under Senate Bill 156, enacted in 2021 to reach all 58 counties. While this network transports massive data payloads over long distances, it fails to connect individual residences and businesses. The missing infrastructure connecting the state highway to a home or school is the “last mile.”

The North Coast has endured historical connectivity vulnerabilities. For years, a single fiber-optic line running alongside Highway 101 carried most of Humboldt County’s internet traffic. When severe high winds severed that line on December 26, 2006, the county was largely knocked offline. As noted by Cal Poly Humboldt, a 2009 regional report pointed to the absence of a middle mile as a primary factor keeping connectivity out of reach across numerous areas of the county.

Communities Compete for USDA Broadband Funding

Final broadband plans and federal grant application packages are scheduled for completion in 2027. Once finalized, communities can compete for USDA funding structures, including the ReConnect Program, Community Connect Grants ranging from $100,000 to $5 million, and Telecommunications Infrastructure Loans.

Residents in Two Counties Provide Broadband Feedback

The 23 designated communities span two counties. Humboldt County locations include Alderpoint, Benbow, Miranda, Myers Flat, Orick, Petrolia, Phillipsville, Redcrest, Shelter Cove, Weott, and Willow Creek. The sites situated in Trinity County encompass Burnt Ranch, Coffee Creek, Douglas City, Hayfork, Hyampom, Junction City, Lewiston, Mad River, Post Mountain, Salyer, Trinity Center, and Trinity Village.

Residents unable to attend the scheduled public meetings can complete a community broadband survey and return it by mail. Inquiries and survey requests can be directed to Matthew Torres, community connectivity coordinator with Cal Poly Humboldt, at [email protected].