UKIAH, CA., 10/3/25 — The city of Ukiah has approved a partnership with internet provider Vero Fiber Networks to increase affordable and high-speed internet access in the city. The agreement was made possible by a grant of nearly $5.6 million awarded to the city by the California Public Utilities Commission. 

The CPUC administers this grant under its program called the “Last Mile Federal Funding Account,” an initiative that works to provide broadband infrastructure to underserved California communities.  

According to a staff report prepared by the city’s project and grant manager Andrea Trincado for the Ukiah City Council meeting on Aug. 20, when the council approved the partnership, the “Ukiah Gigabit Fiber Project” will include the installation of a fiber-optic cable network within the city limits. Fiber-optic networks are able to deliver high-speed internet because the material transmits data more quickly than older materials like copper wire or coaxial cables, which are commonly used by other internet companies.  

The report states that the project will serve an estimated 1,700 places in the city, such as residences, schools, and hospitals. This will include 375 locations that currently lack internet access. The project will also provide free internet access to 14 city facilities. 

The staff report reads, “The city of Ukiah has long recognized a critical need for robust broadband infrastructure to support economic development, enhance public services, and improve digital equity for residents and businesses. The lack of affordable, high-speed internet has posed challenges for local businesses, educational and civic institutions, and residents, particularly those in underserved areas.”  

According to Trincado and her colleague Jim Robbins, a housing and grants manager who led the grant application process, the fiber-optic project is set to be completed by the end of 2026. 

In an interview, Trincado and Robbins explained that the city’s partnership with Vero Fiber Networks will allow low-income residents to get high-speed internet at a competitive rate. Once the project is completed, service to eligible customers will start at $39.95 a month. The rate will increase if customers opt for a data upgrade. 

“It’s considered affordable pricing, and the pricing will be fixed for five years and that’s a requirement of the grant,” Trincado said. “This is establishing a new system here that will offer a new option for residents for affordable high-speed internet.”  

She also noted that increasing internet access options in rural areas has long been difficult to accomplish. In more populated areas, like cities, they are receiving more funding for fiber-optic networks because of the high number of internet users and the cost-effectiveness of investing in those communities.  

“In bigger cities, they are getting more fiber-optic investment in that type of technology,” Trincado added. “In rural areas, they are using a lot of infrastructure that they already have in place. The investment into our rural areas is slow.”  

Trincado also emphasized how crucial it was to obtain this grant for high-speed internet access in Ukiah.  

“Obtaining this grant incentivizes getting investment here,” she added. “With the initial seed money that the grant is able to provide, it makes the numbers work for a company to come in.”  

The fiber-optic infrastructure will be owned by the city of Ukiah and leased by Vero Fiber Networks for a 35-year term. Vero Fiber Networks plans to begin construction this winter.  

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