The Central Coast is a step closer to being considered for a high-speed internet connection. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration has announced 29 awards totaling 404-million dollars as part of a 7.2 billion dollar broadband technology opportunities program. Last week marked the 2nd round of grants to support the deployment of broadband infrastructure. The Central Coast is amongst the final pool of candidates to allow a 55-million dollar, private-public initiative to link Santa Cruz, Monterey and San Benito counties via broadband. If the proposal is accepted, the plan is to build about 312 miles of broadband fiber from downtown Santa Cruz into rural parts of Monterey and San Benito County. Notification about grant funding will be announced in September.
