DIGITAL 395
World-class Internet Speed and Storage in a Pristine, Mountain Environment
The Eastern Sierra is blessed with not only some of the best scenery in the world, but also some of the fastest Internet speeds in the world.
In 2014, a 583-mile-long, 432-strand, high-speed fiber optic cable linking Barstow, California to Reno, Nevada was completed, connecting all of the region’s communities to Internet speeds comparable to that used by the best cities and research facilities in the world.
The Digital Backbone of the Eastern Sierra
The project is called Digital 395 in honor of the Eastern Sierra’s iconic U.S. Highway 395 – a state-designated Scenic Byway. This “digital backbone” provides a platform for entrepreneurialism and economic development, operating as a carrier-neutral, open-access network to which any service provider can interconnect on a non-discriminatory, equal basis.
Currently, more than 85 percent of Mono County residents have access to Gigabit broadband. By 2018 that number will rise to 92% of households, and the cost (per capita) will be one half to one third of the national average.
Specifically, Digital 395 is a “Middle Mile” project comprised of three major components:
- A 450-mile-long backbone between Reno, Nevada and Barstow, California;
- 174 miles of local distribution fiber in over 30 communities along the route;
- More than 300 service connections to various community institutions and service providers.
The exciting news is that Mono County is a Gigabit Region and the incorporated town of Mammoth Lakes became Suddenlink’s first Gigabit market in California, making Mammoth the first rural resort town in the country to offer residential Gigabit broadband capacity. All Eastern Sierra’s communities, agencies, facilities and businesses are projected to be “Gigabit Ready” by 2018 – and for a relatively low cost.
Digital 395 Project History
The project was conceived in 2009, received final funding in 2010, obtained permits in 2012 and was completed in 2014.
The project’s total budget was approximately $109.1 million, funded by the federal government under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act and the state of California. The project was built by a company called Praxis Associates, Inc.
Core Broadband Access
All of the region’s schools, libraries, hospitals, public safety, and other government institutions now have access to Digital 395, including three military bases, seven Native American reservations, and three college campuses.
In addition to the community anchors noted above, the project has connected to other service providers, such as telephone, cable, and wireless networks.
What does Digital 395 mean for you?
Residents: The fiber optic backbone provides an unprecedented level of capacity for broadband, Internet, which allows residents access to the best digital services in the country and simultaneously, a pristine mountain environment.
Businesses: Businesses requiring enormous amounts of data and blazing fast speeds can now start up, or relocate, to the Eastern Sierra where employees can take advantage of the region’s access to hiking, climbing, mountain biking, skiing, snowmobiling, hunting, and fishing, along with access to the thousands of miles of trails and millions of acres of public land that surround each Eastern Sierra community.
Connect
For more information, please visit: http://www.monocounty.ca.gov/Broadband or contact Mono County Information Technology department at 760-924-1819 or 760-932-5500 / http://www.monocounty.ca.gov/it.
For a comprehensive list of local providers by community: https://gis.mono.ca.gov/apps/broadband/
For direct business/residential fiber-to-premise, please contact:
Cliff Beddingfield
Outreach Coordinator
Inyo Networks
Managing Agent for Digital 395
Bishop, Ca.
760-873-8878 Direct
808-398-4968 Mobile