Dear Members:
We are pleased to once again share another great year of progress for Plumas Sierra Telecommunications (PST).
As you may know, PST, the subsidiary of Plumas-Sierra Rural Electric Cooperative (PSREC), has been actively building numerous fiber-optic projects throughout our region.
Major projects under construction include a build from Mohawk substation to Greenhorn Ranch, Loyalton Pines, and Sierra Brooks. In Lassen County, 2 major projects have launched, following the wrap-up of a previous grant. We have generally completed our grant projects to convert the older coax system to fiber-optic in Whitehawk, Portola, and Graeagle, with work to go in converting coax to fiber-optic in Delleker and Quincy.
Another Lassen County project, Congressionally Directed Spending from Rep. Doug LaMalfa, was delayed in the regulatory process but should soon get final environmental clearance for construction from the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Utility Service. The congressman and his staff have been great in helping to move this project along.
We were able to connect approximately 300 additional household customers to broadband service during the year, and—as we passed several hundred more homes as part of that process—we expect many more to sign up.
We are applying for additional grants to cover areas previously bypassed, including Boulder and South Meadow Drive in Whitehawk, Mohawk Meadows subdivision, parts of side streets off Grizzly Road, and West Willow Street by Sierraville. Where we can apply is dependent on location eligibility as determined by California. Our long-term goal is to provide high-speed service to as many members as we can.
We’d also like to thank Representative Kevin Kiley for his help in obtaining Congressionally Directed Spending for the A-15 area near Portola and Clio, which is a complementary project with the Valley Ranch to Iron Horse project. We would also like to thank Sens. Megan Dahle and Brian Dahle for their tireless support for the California Advanced Services Fund. We are working with our congressional delegation to support flexible deadlines for the federal programs.
In addition, we were pleased to host California Public Utilities President Alice Reynolds and key members of the CPUC staff this May. CPUC has been a strong supporter of our efforts, and we greatly appreciate the faith they have placed in us.
Visit our website to see where each of the grant projects will be built and what service is currently available.
Wireless
PST is upgrading our wireless system and converting as we can to an improved 100 Mbps symmetrical speed. Service is underway in Riverview Estates (near Beckwourth), Vinton, and the Red Rock region.
Our fiber-optic services can go as fast as 1 Gbps, with dedicated business services up to 10 Gbps available. With these speeds, you can stream videos on multiple devices at the same time without slowing down. You can even eliminate your cable or satellite TV bills with streaming services.
PST’s coax is actively being converted to fiber-optic service at no cost to its customers. We hope to have this completed by the end of this year.
The Purpose of PST Plumas-Sierra Telecommunications is to complement our cooperatively owned electric utility through shared personnel, expertise, and cost savings, and to improve the quality of life of our region. We now have approximately 4,500 total customers, and we bring additional benefits through providing wholesale service for several wireless companies, as well as 3 wireless cellular providers. In addition, we’ve brought competition to the region, driving down prices and improving service.
The Federal Communications Commission’s Affordable Connectivity Program was discontinued, but the PST board voted to offer a monthly service discount of up to $25 for qualified households. To find out if you are eligible, visit the PST website.
For more information about our telecommunications products, including coverage maps, visit the PST website or call (530) 832-4261.
Sincerely,
Bob Marshall
General Manager
David Hansen
PST Board President