Fort Bidwell Indian Community Fiber-to-the-Home Project
Jun 23, 2025 | News Articles
Connecting Homes. Empowering Communities.
The Tribal Council of the Fort Bidwell Indian Community (FBICC) is pleased to announce the kickoff of a new high-speed broadband project to serve the residents of Fort Bidwell, as well as the neighboring communities of Lake City and Cedarville. Grant preparation began in 2023, with this two-year project officially launching on December 1, 2024, and scheduled for completion by the end of 2026.
The Last Mile Project
The last mile project is supported by a $23.9 million dollar grant from the Federal Funding Account administrated by the California Public Utilities Commission. The Commission’s goal is to see equitable access to high-speed broadband Internet made available to all California residents.
Why Broadband Matters
The absence of reliable service has significantly restricted the community’s ability to leverage Internet-based resources for online learning, telehealth, economic development, communication, and overall quality of life. By providing high-speed Internet, residents and businesses will be provided with essential resources that will promote the development of the entire community. This project also aims to strengthen community ties, allowing tribal members to reach large communities, even internationally, to share and preserve culture and traditions. Broadband is more than a utility—it’s a pathway to equity and opportunity.
Partnerships for Progress
Understanding the challenges and complexity of these projects, FBICC selected EnerTribe, a Native American owned consulting firm as the contractor to determine grant opportunities, agency management, and post award to design and supervise the construction of a new fiber network. With over fifteen years of experience, EnerTribe has worked with hundreds of tribes and helped fund over $1 billion in infrastructure projects. EnerTribe has partnered with Hunter Communications, a trusted fiber provider and Eligible Telecommunications Carrier (ETC) to construct the engineering design and ultimately manage the network.
Together, we are committed to:
- Developing a fiber route to serve all members of the community
- Expanding affordable internet access to the community, as well as discounted services for tribal offices
- Creating jobs and workforce opportunities
- Overall goal is supporting community growth and self-determination
