More optimism that major broadband expansion will finally occur soon in Nevada County. The interim executive director of the Economic Resource Council, Tim Corkins, says the California Public Utilities Commission is poised to approve the sale of Bright Fiber Incorporated to Race Communications at its meeting on January tenth. He says Race Communications, with the help of a 16-million dollar grant from the commission, should be able to overcome the biggest obstacle of recovering high installation costs in areas where there are fewer customers. He says the expansion could cover the Chicago Park area next year…

Meanwhile, the U.S Department of Agriculture has announced a new pilot program to offer up to 600-million dollars in loans and grants, to expand broadband connectivity in rural communities across the country. Nevada County’s congressman, Doug LaMalfa, says that could also enhance telemedicine applications…

LaMalfa says just as the federal government created initiatives to expand access to electricity at the turn of the century, the USDA is making a significant investment into a pilot program designed to do the same for broadband access today.