Small California City of Fort Bragg Buys Local ISP
Fort Bragg hopes to offer affordable broadband.
Maggie Macfarlane
June 4, 2025 – The city of Fort Bragg in California finalized its $300,000 purchase of Mendocino Community Network, making broadband more accessible for the residents of the coastal town.
“City of Fort Bragg was awarded a $10.4 million Federal Funding Account grant by the California Public Utilities Commission,” City Manager Isaac Whippy told Broadband Breakfast. Whippy said the total investment for the city’s broadband goals has totaled $17.4 million, including the most recent purchase of MCN.
City Councilwoman Tess Albin-Smith told Broadband Breakfast the plan was to put fiber underground and has been in the works since 2020, utilizing her quarantine to meet with consultants on Zoom.
After the COVID-19 Pandemic, MCN decided to sell. After years of consulting, Smith and other city officials decided to buy MCN for better fiber. Smith said, “MCN agreed to the sale, we found the money, we bought the equipment, and it’s being installed as we speak.”
The $10.4 million grant is to aid the city of Fort Bragg in building its community-owned fiber optic network, Whippy said.
“By acquiring MCN—a trusted local ISP with deep community roots—we’re not only launching a municipally owned broadband utility, but we’re also ensuring that this critical service remains local,” he said
Whippy told Broadband Breakfast his concerns for the rural community.
“For rural communities like Fort Bragg, broadband is essential to closing the digital divide, supporting remote work and education, improving access to healthcare, and strengthening local economies.” He expressed his hope for the rural areas not to be left behind, and to keep up with the fast-paced changes in technology,” he said.
“MCN has been an exceptional local provider of internet services for thirty years,” Jason Godeke, mayor of Fort Bragg, gave his comments about the history of MCN and the city to Broadband Breakfast. “Having them on board, with their long history of local, accessible customer service, and their grass-roots focus on digital equity, is a huge boost to the City's effort toward providing affordable high-speed internet via broadband.”
The switch is expected to take about six months, with MCN helping make a smooth transition.
Whippy hopes Fort Bragg’s example will help other rural California communities make the transition to more affordable technology.
