Press Releases
City of Gonzales Now Has Affordable High Speed Broadband
Gonzales' Actions at the California Public Utilities Commission Brings Increased Internet Speeds for Residents and Businesses
Gonzales, Calif – The City of Gonzales broadband capacity and internet speeds have taken a phenomenal increase in speed at a very competitive price due to an upgrade from Charter Communications.
As of December 20, 2017 Gonzales residents and businesses have the ability to sign up for internet speeds of 100 Mbps download and 60 Mbps upload at the cost of approximately $39.99. Previously maximum speeds in town were 5 Mbps download and 1 Mbps upload.
Most residents will be able to qualify for a reduced rate plan of $14.99 per month for 60 Mbps download and 30 Mbps upload, which is still significantly faster than what was previously available and businesses can sign up for and pay faster speeds.
The City of Gonzales staff has been working with the Central Coast Broadband Consortium for several years to improve broadband access for Gonzales and the region. This change in internet service is a result of the City of Gonzales' negotiations with Charter Communications that began in 2016, as they became the only City in the region to jump into the fray at the California Public Utility Commission (CPUC).
Negotiations started when Gonzales received notice about a proposed national merger by Charter Communications to consolidate service areas between large companies, presumably to better serve customers more economically. Charter's plan included not serving the lowest 1% of the system because it wasn't profitable. Being part of the 1% not-profitable area, Gonzales took action to block the national merger and was successful, appearing before the CPUC in San Francisco twice.
In February 2016 the City of Gonzales and Charter Communications agreed Charter would upgrade its cable system serving Gonzales to full digital capability within two years and Gonzales would drop its opposition to the CPUC action. The agreement was approved and upgrades were required by May 2018. The same services are guaranteed to be available to all other cities Charter services by May 2019.
City staff is also exploring the possibility of entering into a bulk service agreement with a qualified internet service provider to deliver a basic level of Internet access to every home in Gonzales at no charge.
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About City of Gonzales
The city of Gonzales, California is located in Monterey County. The quaint and culturally diverse community of approximately 9,000 people is in the heart of the Salinas Valley’s agricultural and wine region. Gonzales is an established regional leader in agricultural-technology and innovation, environmental awareness and sustainable practices. Gonzales is home to companies such as HealthySoil, which manufactures products to improve agricultural crop production; Converted Organics, a natural fertilizer company; Taylor Farms, a fresh vegetable production facility, Mann Packing/Del Monte Fresh, a leading supplier of fresh cut vegetables; Ramsay Highlander, an innovator, designer and manufacturer of technologically-advanced harvesting equipment; Papé Equipment Handling, Braga Fresh, Green Valley Farm Supply, Tessemae’s, American Bioscience, Caraccioli Cellars, and Constellation Brands, an international producer and marketer of beer, wine and spirits.