About The NECCC

Project Overview:

The overarching goal of the NECCC is to meet the current and long term middle-mile and last-mile broadband needs of the 570,174 citizens living in the 23 incorporated communities, 139 unincorporated Census Designated Places and rural areas in the seven counties to be served by this infrastructure.

This goal will be achieved by successfully executing the tasks within the following five major activity areas:

1. Ensure Community Involvement
2. Develop Broadband Infrastructure Plan
3. Develop and Implement Access Plans
4. Develop and Implement Adoption and Training Plans and Programs
5. Work with Other Regional Consortia to Ensure the Development of a Cohesive Northern California Infrastructure

A Three-Year Work Plan:

There are measurable deliverables in each of the three years of the work plan including:

Year 1:

• Ensure widespread awareness, buy-in and commitment to the Consortium's mission
• Produce the Conceptual Design for the middle-mile portion of the region's infrastructure plan
• Develop a report that identifies existing installed fiber that could be used to serve as a portion of this middle-mile conceptual design and evaluate its availability
• Produce a Conceptual Design for the last-mile component of the infrastructure for each county
• Develop a report identifying currently available last-mile capabilities in each county and evaluate their potential to meet the Conceptual Design
• Prioritize the unmet last-mile access needs in each county
• Issue a report assessing the availability of adoption/training programs in each county
• Work with county and municipal governments to adopt policies and regulations that will promote the deployment and use of broadband
• Collaborate with other regional Consortia to ensure an integrated middle-mile infrastructure throughout Northern California

Year 2:

• Continue the strong communications with members and constituents
• Secure the funding to complete the detailed design and environmental assessment and initial capital funding to launch construction of one or more middle-mile projects against the plan
• Facilitate designs and implementation plans for last-mile deployments in each county that will begin to meet access needs
• Assist special groups -- County Offices of Education, County Libraries, County Public Access Points, the California Telehealth Network and County Governments -- in developing plans for use of this infrastructure
• Work with CETF to gather information on successful adoption/training programs and secure funding to underwrite plans for this region
• Continue to collaborate with other Consortia

Year 3:

• Continue strong communications with members and constituents
• Secure more funding to accelerate the implementation of the middle-mile and lastmile infrastructure
• Monitor projects already in implementation
• Launch a full-scale Training/Adoption Plan and programs throughout the seven counties
• Have an independent evaluation as to the overall effectiveness of the Consortium in fulfilling its mission leading to decisions about the future

Budget Expenditures:

The NECCC's three-year budget expenditures are projected at $645,171. This amount includes $449,751 over three years from the California Public Utility Commission's Rural and Urban Regional Broadband Consortia Grant Account and $195,751 from other sources. With these funds, the Consortium will vigorously and judiciously pursue its mission.