An exciting subsea fiber cable project to provide digital equity to Catalina Island and coastal and North Orange County is coming up for a vote by the Communications Department of the California Public Utilities Commission on Dec. 18. This project, taken on by AVX Networks, directly addresses digital connectivity issues faced by island residents and visitors.
The AVX Networks Digital Equity project will bring two high-capacity undersea fiber cables from Catalina Island to Orange County, connect into the state Middle Mile Broadband Network in Stanton, and then distribute open-access fiber backhaul between key island population centers, including Avalon and Two Harbors. The entire Catalina project area is currently designated 100% unserved, with 1,125 unserved locations on the island and 2,233 unserved units. The proposed network will offer symmetrical speeds up to 10 Gbps, along with a $40/month low-cost 50/50 Mbps plan that meets CPUC affordability benchmarks and includes a 10-year price commitment.
“Island residents already endure high costs, constrained housing and limited access to the opportunities afforded to most other communities on the mainland,” said Lance Ware, CEO of AVX Networks. “In recent years, the lack of reliable, affordable high-speed broadband has shifted from being an inconvenience, to becoming a structural barrier to the health and well-being of this community.”
For Catalina Island Health, limited and fragile connectivity is serious. It constrains telehealth, tele-psychiatry, remote diagnostics, and real-time collaboration with mainland tertiary partners. Its clinicians routinely coordinate cancer care, dialysis, high-risk pregnancies, and behavioral health services with specialists across Los Angeles County. When bandwidth is inadequate or unstable, it directly affects CIH’s ability to safely monitor patients, transmit imaging, access cloud-based records, and maintain resilient emergency communications during disasters, wildfires, or maritime incidents.
“Improved broadband is a direct investment in Catalina’s health and equity,” said Catalina Island Health CEO Tim Kielpinski. “It expands access to mental health care, specialty services, and chronic disease support for residents who can’t easily leave the island. It also strengthens education, workforce participation, and most importantly, our hospital’s ability to maintain communication and care during emergencies. This project truly enhances the resilience of our entire community.”
CIH along with multiple stakeholders on the island have voiced strong support for the CPUC to vote to adopt Resolution T-17896 and fully approve the AVX Networks “Digital Equity for Coastal and North Orange County and Catalina Island” grant.
The public may watch the meeting using this link: https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/events-and-meetings/cpuc-voting-meeting-12-18-25.
About Catalina
Island Health
CI Health’s primary care physicians and family nurse practitioners provide the island community with a solid foundation of care. The medical clinic is located at 100 Falls Canyon Road, Avalon, CA, up the street from Avalon’s City Hall on the bottom level of the hospital. Its hours are 8 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday. Visit CatalinaIslandHealth.org or call 310-510-0096 for more information or to make an appointment. The emergency room is staffed 24/7 with a UC Irvine Emergency Medicine Physician and supported by the CI Health’s laboratory and diagnostic imaging departments to meet the acute medical needs of Catalina Island’s residents and visitors.
With the use of patient satisfaction surveys, patients consistently rank CI Health’s emergency services as one of the best in the nation. The hospital’s main number is 310-510-0700. For more information, visit CatalinaIslandHealth.org.
About AVX Networks
AVX Networks is a newly formed entity focused on providing greater connectivity to unserved and underserved residents of California, and beyond. Its initial focus is to provide secure, reliable, scalable connectivity to Catalina Island, in the coastal waters of California. It is made up of an experienced team of technology, and connectivity experts to plan, engineer, architect, and stand up this network in a way that is reliable, scalable and sustainable. The team spans financial, operational, and technology realms, with additional expertise specific to subsea optical cable design, engineering, permitting, installation and operations. Collectively the team has 70+ years in telecom installation, operations and 35+ in subsea cable construction. For more information, visit AVXNetworks.com.
