Working Together – Mono County & Race Communications

As of April 20th, 2017, Race has been vetted by the planning committee, board, and County and is approved to build in Crowley Lake and Lee Vining.

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) selected Race Communications to bring fiber optic Internet to the communities of Aspen Springs, Chalfant, Crowley Lake, Lee Vining, Bridgeport, Walker, and Sunny Slopes in Mono County, CA.

Race will be the “last-mile” provider utilizing Digital 395’s backbone, which was a federally funded “middle mile” project that provides a 583-mile fiber optic network between Barstow, CA, and Carson, NV.

 As part of the process, Race Communications must adhere to guidelines set by Mono County’s General Plan. Government Code 65300 requires each county to “adopt a comprehensive long-term general plan for the physical development of the county.” Mono County is unique in that the General Plan and Zoning Code have been combined into one document. 

 The section pertaining to utilities is known as Chapter 11 and was originally created in the 1990’s.

This chapter adds an additional layer of approval to the build out of Race Communications’ network and means that the company’s overall plans must be approved before permits can be approved. Race Communications is the first utility company that has had to go through the process since Chapter 11 was finalized. It has been a learning curve both for the company and the county.

As of April 20th, 2017, Race has been vetted by the planning committee, board, and County and is approved to build in Crowley Lake and Lee Vining. The company expects the remaining communities to be approved in May and June of 2017.

Race Communications appreciates the patience from residents in Mono County. We would like everyone to know that the county has been extremely helpful throughout this process, and Race is ready for the next steps. The company will be applying for permits for all new construction. Once these permits are issued, residents will see Race crews throughout the communities. Certain areas may have seen crews working on our existing infrastructure which we will now be able to tie in and connect once the new builds are completed.

“We’re very excited about the opportunity to bring this service to Mono County residents,” said Race Communication CEO Raul Alcaraz. “In today’s connected world, reliable, high-speed internet is an absolute necessity. Not only will homes be seamlessly connected to a wealth of entertainment choices and cloud services, Race’s fiber network will bring significant improvements to local business, education, community services, and public safety.”

 Race has dedicated extensive resources to designing, building and providing fiber-based Internet services to nearly 12,000 homes and businesses in unserved and underserved communities throughout California.