Broadband Infrastructure Grant (BIG)

Overview & Progress

In 2019 the Broadband Infrastructure Grant (BIG) program was funded to provide fiber broadband connectivity to California’s most poorly connected schools in order to promote digital learning opportunities. BIG builds on the success of an earlier effort: the Broadband Infrastructure Improvement Grant (BIIG) project, funded in 2014, which has delivered broadband services to more than 400 school sites statewide to address the need for sufficient broadband capacity for online testing.

The BIG program was initially awarded $7.5M, and in July 2021, the Governor signed Assembly Bill (AB) 130, allocating an additional $5.2 Million for the program.

In the first year, 30 schools were identified to participate in BIG and are in the process of being connected. Additional sites that were included in Year 1, but received no bids, were re-bid in Year 2. Of these, 10 sites received bids this time and have been approved for connectivity through BIG. When all 40 sites are connected, approximately 11,000 students will gain broadband access to expand digital learning opportunities.

For more information, view the participant webinar recordings and slide decks. You may also contact CENIC’s BIG Team at bigprogram@cenic.org.

This program is accepting new applications for the E-rate cycle that begins this summer, culminating in filing for E-rate in Spring 2024. Please complete the application form if you feel this program could benefit your students and teachers. CENIC program staff will contact you.

Application form