Salinas City Council approves new fiber network in Alisal neighborhood for broadband access

A resolution to create a fiber optic network in the Alisal neighborhood has been approved. Salinas City Council approved the plan with as the latest addition to the Salinas Broadband Master Plan.

Main roads such as Williams and N. Sanborn Roads, Del Monte Avenue, and Alisal Street would see an upgrade to a fiber-optic network.

The cost for the project in the Alisal neighborhood is estimated to be $300,000 as part of a broader city-wide plan that is estimated to be $62 million as whole.

This news comes as some community members struggle to find internet access.

"We have little access to the Internet because sometimes it doesn't get a good signal here and that's why we are struggling," florist Guillermo Vargas said. "Sometimes I go to the library or McDonald's which has the internet, so we go here."

Councilmember Anthony Rocha spoke on the need to invest in the project.

"It's through that consistent investment, that's the only way you're gonna go because there is also just, as my colleague Barrera would say, another plan sitting on a shelf collecting dust, and we don't want to happen," Rocha said.

Councilmember Tony Barrera spoke about the length it has taken to get to this point in the plan.

"Sometimes, what bothers me is when we hear underserved communities is, you know, the Alisal neighborhoods, it is rich," Barrera said. "There is money out there, but sometimes we are considered the poor population, but where it’s underserved is we are taking a long time."

It includes public wi-fi in the neighborhood and will implement existing buildings and traffic signals in order to bounce the signal across the 10 mile stretch. Many residents without internet access rely heavily on public Wi-Fi, so a public network would ease that need.

"It would be good to for all the students that are out there without access to be able to do their homework from anywhere they can."

The grand vision is to see all of Salinas with access to public Wi-Fi wherever they are.

Now that the plan is approved, it will be entering the funding phase to build the infrastructure.