SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ — Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger yesterday issued the following statement after it was announced that California was awarded over $200 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) grants by the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration for Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) projects across California:

“The projects awarded to California today stand to create hundreds of jobs for Californians and benefit thousands more. Getting broadband access to those in underserved areas is essential to promoting economic growth and spurring job creation. The grants awarded to California today will supply that foundation.”

The projects receiving funds today are part of a program – administered by the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service (RUS) – to expand broadband access and adoption across the country. In total, 66 Broadband Technology Opportunities Program grant awards, totaling $1.47 billion in federal investments, were announced today.

Earlier this year, Governor Schwarzenegger issued a letter recommending the projects that were awarded to California today. Below is the list of grants awarded to California.

California Broadband Cooperative, Inc. ($81,148,788) – This approximately $81.1 million award will allow the California Broadband Cooperative to offer affordable middle-mile broadband service in California and Nevada. The project plans to directly connect 230 community institutions to broadband. As many as 62,400 people stand to benefit as do 2,500 businesses. In addition to the more than 400 jobs the California Broadband Cooperative estimates the project will create, it will provide a foundation for economic growth and job creation for decades to come.

CVIN ($46,619,757) – This approximately $46.6 million award, with nearly $20 million in matching contributions, will allow Central Valley Independent Network (CVIN) to offer affordable middle-mile broadband service in the Central Valley region of California. The project plans to directly connect up to 63 community institutions to broadband. As many as 3.6 million people stand to benefit as do 160,000 businesses. In addition to the over 280 jobs CVIN estimates the project will create, it will provide a foundation for economic growth and job creation for decades to come.

Motorola, Inc. ($50,593,551) – This approximately $50.6 million award, with nearly $21.9 million in matching contributions, will allow public safety entities in the San Francisco area to deploy an interoperable wireless public safety broadband network. The project plans to serve 200 existing public safety sites and up to 50,000 public safety users in the greater San Francisco Bay Area. As many as 6 million people stand to benefit from this project.

Plumas Sierra Telecommunications ($13,770,240) – This approximately $13.8 million award will allow Plumas Sierra Rural Electric Cooperative to offer affordable middle mile broadband service in California, foster economic development, and improve education, and healthcare in rural areas of the state. The project plans to directly connect 18 community institutions to broadband. As many as 33,000 people stand to benefit as do 2,100 businesses. In addition to the more than 180 jobs Plumas Sierra estimates the project will create, it will provide a foundation for economic growth and job creation for decades to come.

Foundation For California Community Colleges ($10,944,843) – This approximately $10.9 million award will allow the Foundation for California Community Colleges to provide outreach, training, and educational support to increase digital literacy skills and broadband adoption as well as encourage broadband usage among students and their families, especially among low-income Hispanic residents in the Central Valley region. In addition to the jobs this project will create, it will provide a foundation for economic growth and job creation for decades to come.

Zerodivide ($686,157) – This approximately $686,000 award, with nearly $300,000 in matching contributions, will allow ZeroDivide to increase broadband usage among the 15 Native American tribes in rural San Diego County, California as part of its Tribal Digital Village project, which will provide 8,900 tribal residents and 2,000 residents living in adjacent communities with broadband training, awareness, and adoption programs. In addition to the jobs this project will create, it will provide a foundation for
economic growth and job creation for decades to come.

Zerodivide CA, HI, NM, OR, UT, WA ($1,384,242) – This $1.4 million award, with $605,000 in matching contributions, will allow ZeroDivide to expand broadband access to low-income youth in communities across California, Hawaii, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, and Washington. The project plans to provide training and support services to encourage sustainable adoption and technology awareness with a focus on disadvantaged communities. In addition to the jobs this project will create, it will provide a foundation for economic growth and job creation for decades to come.

Governor Schwarzenegger created the California Recovery Task Force to track the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding coming into the state; work with President Barack Obama’s administration; help cities, counties, non-profits, and others access the available funding; ensure that the funding funneled through the state is spent efficiently and effectively; and maintain a Web site (www.recovery.ca.gov) that is frequently and thoroughly updated for Californians to be able to track the stimulus dollars.