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

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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.

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Sergio Berrueta

Sergio Berrueta has been in the news for quite awhile going from studying print media to entering the realm of broadcast.

Originally from Bell Gardens, California, in Southeast Los Angeles. Berrueta started his professional news career in Eureka as a newscast producer for North Coast News (now The Northstate’s News) at KAEF ABC 23 in 2022. He pivoted a year later in 2022 going from behind-the-scenes to in front of the camera as a multimedia journalist for Redwood News Channel 3 (KIEM/KVIQ) also in Eureka.

Berrueta studied journalism at Humboldt State University (now Cal Poly Humboldt) earning his Bachelor’s Degree. Berrueta was a staff writer, page editor, social media manager and editor-in-chief of the university’s El Lenador, the only bilingual publication in all of Humboldt County.

Before moving to the North Coast, Berrueta had earned his Associate’s Degree at East Los Angeles College in 2019 after beginning his educational journey in 2012. He also was on staff for the ELAC’s publication, ELAC Campus News, having been a staff writer, page editor, and online editor.

Outside of news experience, Berrueta has also been in education as an AmeriCorps tutor in East Hollywood from 2017 to 2019 and served in a government role as a National Hometown Fellow for Lead for America with the City of Arcata in 2021.

When not focusing on news, Berrueta is an avid amateur cinephile having written about films in free time. He also writes poetry, attempting to get through a backlog of video games, enjoys visiting new places along the California Coast, and trying to keep up with the latest music and podcasts.

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