Nevada County has awarded its first two broadband contracts, under a pilot program with the Sierra Business Council. The 225-thousand dollar Last Mile Broadband Grant was created last year, and three companies applied for funding. A company called ‘Exwire’ has been awarded just under 53-thousand dollars to connect 95 homes and ten businesses in the outskirts of Truckee, and Nevada County Fiber was granted over 124-thousand to connect 40 homes and businesses in the Banner Mountain area. Devin Cook with Exwire says the funding process was a smooth one…

A start-up company called the Northern Sierra Fiber Co-Op requested 25-thousand dollars for a project to connect a hundred businesses and 75 homes in Nevada City, but was denied for now. Founder Michael Anderson says he applied right before the deadline…

The balance of the 225-thousand will go to future grants, and Anderson says he will try again. Applicants have to match the grant money with their own funding, and the money will not be awarded until projects are complete. Contracts still have to be drawn up, and will be approved at a future meeting of the Board of Supervisors.

–gf