Public Works News Release
Digital 395 Work to Start in BishopThe contractors installing Digital 395 are expected to start installing conduit on city streets as early as this Thursday, 4 April. Work is expected to continue for several weeks. The work on City of Bishop streets is under an agreement with California Broadband Cooperative, the group that is constructing and will operate Digital 395.
City streets that will be affected by the work include Sierra Street, East Yaney Street, Spruce Street, Hanby Avenue, East Pine Street, East Line Street, South Third Street, East Jay Street, Mandich Street, South Fowler Street, West South Street, and Warren Street. State highways such as Main Street and West Line Street, as well as some county roads, will also be affected. The conduit will be installed by boring, which means there won’t be extensive trenching along the streets.
Although there won’t be trenching, installing conduit by boring does require that pits be excavated every few hundred feet along the streets. In addition to the boring pits, numerous manholes and vaults will also be installed. As with most construction, there will be numerous inconveniences while work is underway. Equipment, workers, and excavations in the street will require attention, impact traffic, and impact parking at times. There may be lane and street closures. The city will work with Digital 395 to minimize the impacts and restrictions, but residents, drivers, and pedestrians should be cautious, take alternate routes when available, be alert for hidden hazards, and be patient with some inconvenience and with delays.
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I also gather from Ms. Langou’s post that the government and its employees will get the benefits of Digital 395 immediately, and without charge; while we the people, who funded it, will have to pay market rates for the high-speed service and remain subject to the business decisions of the private sector with respect to the provision of Digital 395’s benefits.
Moreover, she tells the Olanchites and others to organize a community meeting in an effort to “motivate” the private internet providers to provide them with the high-speed service they were promised by Digital 395.
Why is the burden being placed on the public to “motivate” the providers to give them the benefits of the publicly-funded Digital 395?
The silence on these issues by our elected leaders is deafening.
Thanks.
Hi, this is Julie from the Broadband Consortium (ESCRBC)
The Broadband Consortium is trying to give update to the eastern Sierra communities regarding Broadband in Eastern Sierra – you can follow us on Facebook (ESCRBConsortium) or register to our Newsletter (on our website)
One thing that maybe is not clear in people’s mind, is that only “anchors” will be directly connected to Digital 395 – an anchor institution is a local, state or federal entity. It includes schools, libraries, airport, hospitals, fire stations, government offices, etc.
Now, Internet Service Providers can also connect to Digital 395, and then served your home – We know that most of them are going to do so, and most of them are working to update thier equipment.
– if you are already living in a community served by an ISP, We are encouraging you to contact your ISP to confirm that you will be able to enjoy greater bandwidth for the same or even a lower price.
– if you are living in a community not currently served by an ISP, be assure that the Broadband Consortium is working to get you connected. Please fill our survey online: http://escrbconsortium.org/survey/ and contact us if you want to host a community meeting in your area to motivate providers to connect you.
Now for the Olancha area, Schat.net submitted a CPUC CASF grant to get infrastructure money to connect your community – the Broadband Consortium organized a community meeting last winter with two potential providers. If Schat.net is not going to connect you, there are other providers that will – To connect Olancha pencil outs in term of profit for those private ISP once Digital 395 will be here.
More info about Eastern Sierra grant application for Broadband infrastructure : http://escrbconsortium.org/7-of-the-31-casf-applications-for-eastern-sierra-communities/
Hope it helps!
@ julie langou
So, let me get this straight:
After $100 million in taxpayer money is spent to bring high-speed internet service to rural areas like Olancha, Olancha (and other outlying areas) still won’t get such service unless a private outfit -schat.net – applies for and gets more taxpayer money to build infrastructure to Olancha, and schat.net will only do so if it “pencils out” to allow schat.net – or some other private business – to make a profit off of this investment of public funds? Got it.
P.S. This is not a dig at schat.net, but at the further subsidization by the public of private industry.
Thanks.
Is it true that Olancha will not have access to the hight speed service?
haven’t heard that.
BK