12-02-2025
Reliable high-speed internet coming to more remote Sierra Nevada communities
( — Some of the most remote areas of the foothills and Sierra Nevada will finally be connected to reliable high-speed internet thanks to a partnership between a local internet provider and Nevada County.
On Tuesday, Nevada County approved over $778,000 in funding to continue the work of bringing high-speed and reliable internet to remote parts of the county.
'Accessible and affordable broadband is essential to our economy, our education system and our healthcare in this country,' Board of Supervisors Chair Heidi Hall said. 'Every additional household we connect is a win for our residents and our economy.'
This is the county's third round of funding for its Last Mile Broadband Grant program which began in 2019 to invest in building broadband infrastructure.
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Under the first round of funding in 2020, Oasis Broadband, a Truckee-based internet provider brought broadband connections to hundreds of Nevada County residents in the Prosser Dam area of Truckee.
This most recent round of funding will be split between locally-owned companies and AT&T, according to Nevada County.
The smaller companies will work in the areas around Nevada City, Donner Summit, Kingvale, Norden and Soda Springs and AT&T will be working in the area along McCourtney Road and portions of Higgins Corner, according to Nevada County.
'County government has no regulatory or oversight authority whatsoever over broadband, yet there is an expectation as a community that we will solve the broadband problem,' former Director of Information and General Services for Nevada County Steve Monaghan said. 'We're not a utility provider but we're trying to make it as attractive as possible.'
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With billions of dollars being allocated by the state and federal government to address the nationwide broadband disparity in the nation, Nevada County is hoping they can provide funding on a yearly basis.
'Now the government is finally realizing the public is so desperate and traditional ISPs (Internet Service Providers) refuse to invest in the remote, low-profit areas. Progressive counties are ready to give money at the county, state and federal level,' Devin Koch of Oasis Broadband said.
Since Oasis began spreading broadband across the county they have brought high-speed internet to Truckee, Olympic Valley, Lake Tahoe West Shore, Tahoe Vista and Alpine Meadows.
More information about the Last Mile Program on the county website.
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