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 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.

CENIC is proud to have successfully connected 44 recipients from years one, two, and three. The program has provided 1 Gbps connectivity to approximately 14,000 students, teachers, and staff in 13 different counties. In its fourth year, the BIG program hopes to expand to several more counties across California and support several thousand more students, teachers, and staff. To learn more, any K-12 public school that lacks a 1 Gbps fiber connection and would benefit from this program can fill out the application form.

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

                                                                                                                                 Application form