Dec 18, 2024
California Department of Technology and Karuk Tribe Partner to Close the Digital Divide
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The California Department of Technology (CDT) and the Karuk Tribe have partnered to close the digital divide in tribal communities and rural Northern California as part of the state’s ongoing effort to build the nation’s largest open-access Middle-Mile Broadband Network (MMBN).
On Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024, officials from the Karuk Tribe and CDT gathered in Happy Camp, CA, the ancestral land of the Karuk Tribe, to commemorate the signing of the historic joint-build partnership.
“We are building the nation’s largest open-access broadband network of its kind to ensure all Californians have access to reliable, high-speed internet. Our historic investments not only set California on track to thrive in the digital world, it provides the foundation for our economy and our workers to flourish.”
Governor Gavin Newsom
The Karuk Tribe will construct two broadband segments totaling 46 miles. One segment, on State Route 96 from Orleans to the border of Yurok Tribal lands, will complete a ring on the MMBN, providing the essential broadband backbone for local communities to tap into for local connections. Once completed, internet service providers can build off of the middle-mile to bring service to the Karuk, Hoopa Valley, and Yurok tribes and other rural residents in Humboldt County. The other segment, on Highway 101 from Orick to Trinidad, represents a significant step forward in delivering high-speed internet to tribal and rural communities in Northern California.
“Building a more connected California is a priority,” said Government Operations Secretary Amy Tong. “I am thrilled that we continue to work with local communities to ensure state and federal investments are made strategically—together we will close the digital divide.”
With roughly 3,000 miles of broadband infrastructure under active construction by the end of 2024, CDT remains ahead of schedule to deliver over 8,000 miles of Broadband fiber.
“We are building critical broadband infrastructure across the state to ensure a California where everyone has reliable access to the internet,” said California State Chief Information Officer and CDT Director Liana Bailey-Crimmins. “We are grateful to the Biden-Harris Administration and our state and local partners working with us to close the digital divide.”
The Middle-Mile Broadband Network is essential to the state’s comprehensive approach to closing the digital divide and is a key part of Governor Gavin Newsom’s “Build More, Faster” agenda, which focuses on delivering infrastructure upgrades statewide. More information about state infrastructure projects is available at build.ca.gov.
“We are entering into an era of co-management where work together with our state partners to manage these lands which requires an adaptive process,” said Karuk Tribal Chairman Russell Attebery. “The Middle-Mile Broadband Initiative is an integral part of that process. Broadband is not just public safety and education, but also a life-changing instrument and we are partnering with the state to ensure that the next generations of the Karuk people can survive and have a better quality of life.”
Karuk Tribal Chief Information Officer Eric Cutright, reflected on the historic and cultural significance of the broadband initiative. “My dream is for the people here to have the opportunity to grow their families, access healthcare and public safety, expand their businesses, and telework—all while staying in this beautiful area. They shouldn’t be forced to leave their lands because of a lack of infrastructure. Broadband is as essential as water or electricity. This initiative is a major step toward making that dream a reality.”
Middle-Mile by the Numbers
2,800+ miles in active construction, jumping to 3,000 in just the next three weeks
10 Tribal joint-build partnerships and engagements
All 58 counties reached
7,233 miles in lease/purchase partnership
4,000 miles in construction by Spring 2025
For more information about the Middle-Mile Broadband Network, visit:
[https://middle-mile-broadband-initiative.cdt.ca.gov](https://middle-mile-broadband-initiative.cdt.ca.gov)
About the California Department of Technology
The California Department of Technology is dedicated to harnessing technology to improve the lives of California residents. CDT leads various statewide technology initiatives and projects, including the Middle-Mile Broadband Network, to enhance the state’s technological infrastructure and provide reliable, secure, and equitable access to digital resources.
About the Karuk Tribe
The mission of the Karuk Tribe is to promote the general welfare of all Karuk people, to establish equality and justice for the Tribe, to restore and preserve tribal traditions, customs, language, and ancestral rights, and to secure for themselves and their descendants the power to exercise the inherent rights of self-governance.