VARCOMM Completes $10 Million Terra Bella Broadband Expansion in Tulare County-Infrastructure investment brings in high-speed fiber to nearly 1,400 previously unserved locations

TERRA BELLA, Calif. — August 13, 2026 A major broadband expansion bringing high-speed fiber service to nearly 1,400 previously unserved locations in and around Terra Bella is complete, adding critical infrastructure for residents, businesses and future investment in southeastern Tulare County. VARCOMM celebrated the completion of the project on Wednesday in Terra Bella alongside Tulare County Supervisor Dennis Townsend, representatives of Assemblywoman Alexandra Macedo, Setton Pistachio, the Porterville Chamber of Commerce, and community partners, including representatives from the Tulare County Resource Management Agency.

The expansion was supported by more than $10 million through the California Public Utilities Commission’s (CPUC) Last Mile Federal Funding Account, which funds broadband infrastructure in communities where reliable high-speed internet has historically been unavailable.

The milestone follows a February 2025 groundbreaking in Terra Bella. Local food processor Setton Pistachio has supported VARCOMM’s expansion in the community, including providing space at Setton Park for broadband equipment and infrastructure.

VARCOMM CEO Eric Votaw speaks during the groundbreaking celebration for the kickoff to Terra Bella broadband expansion efforts in early 2025.

Historic Investment and Mission-Driven Expansion

For VARCOMM, the expansion is close to home. The company traces its roots to a telephone network established by farmers in southeastern Tulare County and the Ducor Telephone Company. Today, VARCOMM is headquartered in Ducor, is owned by CEO Eric Votaw and CFO Jenifer Vellucci, and is the first Mexican-American and female-owned incumbent local exchange carrier (ILEC) in California’s history.

"Reliable communications are essential in the hills that we live in, and without fiber, we're not able to make sure that those connections stay up,” Votaw noted. “VARCOMM, along with Ducor Telephone Company, has been serving Tulare County for more than a hundred years. This history reflects our deep commitment to this region and to the people who live and work here. We're not an outside company. We're part of this community and we're dedicated to the future of Tulare County."

The completed network gives households access to infrastructure increasingly necessary for work, education, healthcare and everyday life. For residents who have historically been unserved or underserved, high-speed broadband can expand access to education, healthcare and essential services, reflecting the Last Mile Federal Funding Account’s focus on connecting Californians who have lacked reliable service. The network also provides businesses and agricultural operations with greater capacity to operate, expand and invest. Within Terra Bella alone, Setton Pistachios employs up to 1,000 team members during peak harvest season, while orange packing houses, a local lumber operation, and local grocery stores within the community employ hundreds more. Located just 15 minutes from Porterville, a city of approximately 65,000, Terra Bella has a population of a bit under 3,000, and is also home to two healthcare clinics, Family HealthCare Network and Sierra View Medical Center, and is served by the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office, Tulare County Fire, and a County Road Yard. These employers,

public agencies, and essential services rely on high-speed internet, as do the Terra Bella Unified Elementary School District and local students who later attend schools within the Porterville Unified School District, particularly at the high school level.

Tulare County District 5 Supervisor Dennis Townsend highlighted the project's reach and what the new service means for the community. “About 1,350 connections out here, 158 businesses, homes, schools and rural healthcare clinics, like the one right up the road; they [now] get gigabit speed. When you come from [no access] and then all of a sudden, you’ve got gigabit speed, that’s an impressive thing to do in a relatively short period of time.” The County of Tulare also received $500,000 through the CPUC’s Local Agency Technical Assistance program to support staff work associated with implementation of federally funded broadband projects. Much of that work was carried out by the Tulare County Resource Management Agency’s (RMA) encroachment team, with support from permitting, environmental and Grants staff.

RMA’s Grants team helped coordinate among the County, CPUC, broadband providers and regional partners throughout the effort. “This project is the culmination of a Federal, State, local, and private partnership to deliver critical broadband access to rural residents in Tulare County. Connecting unserved and underserved communities to broadband service is a major step in improving the economy, education, health and well-being for residents,” says RMA Grants & Resources Manager Denise England.

Driving Economic Growth

For the County of Tulare’s Economic Development Office, also a part of the RMA, the completed network also strengthens one of the fundamentals considered when marketing communities for investment, defining whether businesses can access the infrastructure necessary to operate and grow.

“Broadband infrastructure directly strengthens our ability to compete for investment,” said Michael Washam, Associate Director of Tualre County Resource Management Agency. “When we talk to businesses about opportunities in Tulare County, we need to be able to point to communities with the infrastructure to support them. Investments like this give residents better connectivity while adding another asset we can put on the table in our business attraction efforts.”

Tulare County District 5 Supervisor Dennis Townsend (left) and RMA Grants & Resources Manager Denise England (second from left) join VARCOMM team members and Porterville Chamber Ambassadors during Wednesday’s Terra Bella broadband celebration.

VARCOMM’s investment in rural connectivity extends beyond Terra Bella to Ducor, which the company also serves, with additional expansion planned for communities farther east. The company is turning its attention toward nearby California Hot Springs, where renewed private investment is also underway to rehabilitate the historic California Hot Springs Resort following its acquisition by Ikigai Springs LLC.

Expanded broadband in the mountain community could support households and existing businesses while adding infrastructure for the resort as it prepares to reopen, including connectivity for its operations, employees and future guests.

VARCOMM also plans to extend broadband farther into eastern Tulare County to Kennedy Meadows, one of Tulare County’s most remote communities and a destination along the Pacific Crest Trail. From the foothill community of Terra Bella to the mountain communities farther east, the expansion of broadband is adding infrastructure to support residents while strengthening conditions for business growth and private investment across rural Tulare County.

The Tulare County Economic Development Office will feature VARCOMM in an upcoming Tulare County Business Voices video highlighting the company’s roots in southeastern Tulare County, its growth, and its continued investment in the communities it serves. For questions regarding economic development, infrastructure, land use, and business support, please contact the Tulare County Economic Development Office at (559) 624-7177 or email at economicdevelopment@tularecounty.ca.gov.

Representatives from VARCOMM, Setton Pistachio, the Porterville Chamber of Commerce and local government gathered in Terra Bella to celebrate completion of the broadband expansion.

About the Tulare County Resource Management Agency

The Tulare County Resource Management Agency (RMA) provides essential public services to more than 40 unincorporated communities and supports eight municipalities in the heart of California’s Central Valley. The RMA is organized into three core branches, Public Works, Fiscal Services, and Economic Development & Planning, each overseeing divisions that manage infrastructure, land use, permitting, and economic development. The RMA’s mission is to protect the health and safety of residents, preserve the County’s environmental resources, and provide excellent customer service and project support to residents, developers, and business owners. To learn more, please visit www.tularecounty.ca.gov/rma. For questions or media inquiries, please contact RMA Media Specialist Kevyn Tinoco (ktinoco@tularecounty.ca.gov).