California Awards $37.5 Million for Catalina Island High-Speed Internet Project

AVX Networks Press Release
February 19, 2026

3,500+ residents to receive broadband access, improving health care, education and economy

AVALON, Calif. — The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) awarded $37.5 million for a project connecting Catalina Island to high-speed internet. Through the Last Mile Federal Funding Account program, an estimated 3,500 Catalina Island residents will receive broadband infrastructure to support health care, education and local businesses.

The project is led by AVX Networks, a Catalina-based telecommunications company helping close the island’s digital divide. Submarine fiber-optic cables will connect Catalina Island to Huntington Beach. This route was chosen for its favorable seafloor conditions, strong connectivity to regional networks and municipal support from the mainland city.

“This project is about people, not just infrastructure,” said AVX Networks CEO Lance Ware. “Reliable connectivity is foundational to economic participation, health care access and education. This grant allows us to deliver real, measurable impact for Catalina Island while building a replicable model to lift up other underserved communities.”

The “Last Mile” program is part of California’s statewide broadband effort established through Senate Bill 156 (Chapter 112, Statutes of 2021). $2 billion was committed to this effort, ensuring residents in hard-to-reach communities can connect to the statewide backbone created in California’s Middle Mile Broadband Initiative.

AVX Networks’ parent company, DEC LLC, sees developing broadband infrastructure for Catalina Island as a strategic proof point for its up-and-coming infrastructure platform, Ark Genesis, where future public-private partnerships scale for future-facing implementation, from dual-use offshore computing and national security to sensing and next-generation connectivity.

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AVX Networks designs, builds and operates advanced network infrastructure in complex and underserved environments, delivering resilient, future-ready connectivity solutions that support economic growth and community impact.

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