Glass Roots Construction to Launch Historic Broadband Project in Hoopa Valley
Press release from Glass Roots Construction:
A major broadband project is set to begin in the Hoopa Valley, led by the Hoopa Valley Public Utilities District (HVPUD). Known as the SB156 Middle Mile Project, this collaboration marks the first joint build agreement between a Tribe and the State of California. It’s a major step toward improving internet access and digital equity on the reservation and surrounding aboriginal territory.
Spanning more than 92,000 acres, the Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation is the largest in California. Many households are located in areas with steep terrain and dense forests, making wireless coverage weak or unreliable. Wildfires and inclement weather have damaged above-ground infrastructure and disrupted essential services. Installing underground fiber optic lines will provide a more resilient solution.
“Reliable internet isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity,” said Linnea Jackson, General Manager of the Hoopa Valley Public Utilities District. “This project reflects years of planning and partnership, and it will finally give our Tribe and surrounding community the connectivity we need to thrive—for school, work, and health care.”
Glass Roots Construction, the primary contractor for this project, was selected for its track record of delivering quality work with similar projects in the region, its understanding of the unique topography, and its proven commitment to partnership.
“We’re honored to have been selected by the Hoopa Valley PUD to help bring this critical fiber network to life,” said Marty Snella, CEO of Glass Roots Construction. “The trust they’ve placed in us is deeply valued, and we’re excited to partner with such an amazing community. This project is more than infrastructure—it’s about connection, opportunity, and future growth. We look forward to working hand-in-hand to deliver lasting impact.”
The SB156 Middle Mile Project will extend a high-capacity fiber optic network from Willow Creek through the Hoopa Valley Reservation to its northern boundary near Weitchpec. This new infrastructure will provide reliable, high-speed internet to homes, businesses, and public facilities, creating long-term benefits like improved access to education, healthcare, employment, and emergency services. It also aligns with California’s broader goal of expanding equitable high-speed internet in underserved, rural communities.
Construction is scheduled to begin within the next two months, with completion required by December 2026. During this time, residents should expect traffic delays along Highway 96 between Willow Creek and Weitchpec. Longer wait times are anticipated in certain bluff areas due to safety requirements and limited room for construction zones. HVPUD will continue to share updates as the project moves forward, so residents can plan accordingly.
“We know construction can be disruptive in the short term, but the long-term benefits of this project are significant,” Jackson said. “Fiber optic broadband is significantly more reliable than wireless and offers faster internet speeds, which will provide a reliable connection that lasts for decades.”
HVPUD is also advancing the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Tribal Broadband Connectivity Project (TBCP), bringing high-speed internet service directly to homes and businesses. More information about that initiative will be released in the coming weeks as we advertise the Request for Proposals and select a contractor.
The Hoopa Valley Public Utilities District is dedicated to community engagement and collaboration throughout this process. Regular updates, traffic notices, and project milestones will be shared on HVPUD’s website, social media, and local communication channels to keep residents informed and engaged every step of the way.
About Hoopa Valley Public Utilities District
The Hoopa Valley Public Utilities District (HVPUD) has been a trusted provider of essential utility services to the Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation for over 40 years. Founded in 1982 under the authority of the Hoopa Valley Tribe’s Constitution and By-Laws, HVPUD is committed to supporting the tribe’s long-term growth and economic vitality. In recent years, HVPUD expanded its services to include high-speed internet through Acorn Wireless, a broadband division dedicated to closing the digital divide and enhancing connectivity for residents and businesses in the region.
The mission of the Hoopa Valley Public Utilities District is to provide a level of service and utility resources that enable and advance tribal strategies to grow economic opportunity, build a strong foundation of utility infrastructure, and ensure a framework for quality growth and development on the Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation.
About Glass Roots Construction:
Glass Roots Construction (GRC), a subsidiary of VFN Holdings, Inc. (a/k/a Vero Networks), was founded with a specific focus on building fiber optic networks for some of the largest companies in the world. By pairing the latest technologies in field equipment and geospatial project management with industry-leading talent, GRC strives to be a different type of construction utility. GRC’s focus is on accurate, real-time cloud-based data, outstanding communication, and best-in-industry safety programs that deliver superior results for its clients.
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Starlink is the most affordable and reliable solution but that cuts out the leftist grifters and their taxpayer funded money laundering operation
IMHO:
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Yup… they could buy Starlink connections for most all of the Reservation… for a small fraction of the cost of deploying fiber.
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Taxpayers… Kiss the money good-bye.
Fiber will always be faster, and less weather sensitive. Not to say that StarLink isn’t suitable for the more hard to reach rural areas, but this can only be seen as a good move. Especially for communications and as a backbone for other services that hang off it, possibly things like cellular towers, etc.
What a shit show. Glass Roots ran a crappy project on 299 without consideration for locals dealing with their delays multiple times a day… And do you know who gets broadband on that route? Nobody.
IMHO:
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Viewed the map of ‘middle mile’ $3.1 BILLION dollar funding.
Burying lines under most of the state roadways. (299, 96 etc).
Then the Salmon River Road ??? That might have 200 people living on it ?
Middle mile provides no local connections.
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Taxpayers kiss $3.1 Billion goodbye.
That was because Biden’s Big, Beautiful Infrastructure Bill included DEI language about “underserved” communities. As this splurb from the DOT puts it ” President Biden’s historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is an opportunity to advance equity in our country. The investments will connect historically disadvantaged and underserved communities to jobs and economic opportunities, support climate justice by improving air quality and tackling climate change and ensure everyone benefits from the good-paying jobs created by the historic investment. ”
It could be thought that government should see the advantage of laws that benefit everyone even if they benefit some more than others. The reason social security has survived so long with general approval is that everyone has a share in it even if it’s rules have been slanted over the years to favor low income people over wealthy ones.
But it seems to be an idea totally out if favor at the moment. The minute politicians start using government to re-engineer society, people are going to resent it. As they should. But the US has reached a state of such imbalance that not favoring of certain group generates as much resentment as favoring. Damned if they do and damned if they don’t.
https://www.transportation.gov/bipartisan-infrastructure-law/fact-sheet-equity-bipartisan-infrastructure-law
I know for a fact that there are multiple lines in that run that are available to be spliced when ever local communities are ready to start local telecoms that can buy into it. This 299 also creates a secondary point of entry for network communications that is currently all served by AT&T via hwy 101/36. If that goes out Humboldt loses all communications. People will complain about anything.
Let me know when that happens.
And sacrificing hours of my life so Glass Roots can run 2 miles of highway closure is not worth having the possibility of a connection sometime maybe.
Starlink works very well.
Starlink is an invaluable asset, however fiber is faster and has a 25 year life expectancy. Starlink satellites only have a 5 year live expectancy and cost $1.6 million dollars per launch. after the initial cost of placing the duct the cost drops significantly for underground fiber, also in an area plagued with wildfires underground is the most resilient option. you are going to give up many more hours of your life when power and telephone lines are undergrounded right beside the fiber line. And the only way fiber services can go down is a severed fiber strand, solar flares and foul weather can’t effect the speed of data transfer.
the 299 project isn’t to bring services to any locals, its sole purpose is to establish a main line out of the ocean through California and into reno.
the heat death of the earth will consume us all before 299 has a single day of no construction zones
Starlink’s speed is divided by the number of users currently connected to the satellite, so it gets slower as it gets more popular. It has limited utility for small numbers of rural users, but it’s not a replacement for fiber.
It’s an amazing service and they intend to get more satellites up in orbit, but that tech wont surpass terrestrial fiber for awhile.
Until Musk pitches a fit and turns it all off.