Ducor-Based VARCOMM Marks $10 Million Fiber Expansion in Neighboring Terra Bella

DUCOR, California — A rural telecom business headquartered in Ducor is behind a major broadband milestone in neighboring Terra Bella. Tulare County announced in 2026 that VARCOMM had completed a fiber-optic network expansion supported by more than $10 million from the California Public Utilities Commission’s Last Mile Federal Funding Account.

A Ducor company with regional reach

VARCOMM traces its origins to the Ducor Telephone Company and a telephone network first established by local farmers more than a century ago. Tulare County says VARCOMM’s leadership and workforce have maintained that local connection as the company expanded service to underserved communities in the southern San Joaquin Valley.

The Terra Bella project brought new fiber infrastructure to roughly 1,400 previously unserved locations. At a county celebration, public officials and the company described benefits for local households, schools, healthcare and businesses. The CPUC also reported deployment of 56.8 miles of buried fiber supported by its grant program.

What this does — and does not — mean for Ducor

The completed project is identified as a Terra Bella project, not a new $10 million Ducor construction project. Tulare County separately notes that the company serves Ducor and has plans to extend connectivity to other communities farther east, including California Hot Springs and Kennedy Meadows. Any particular Ducor household should verify coverage, availability, cost and advertised speeds directly with its provider rather than assume the Terra Bella announcement changed its address.

For Ducor, the story illustrates the growth of a longstanding local communications company and the importance of infrastructure investment in rural Tulare County.

Primary sources: Tulare County RMA — VARCOMM broadband completion announcement; CPUC interview with VARCOMM’s CEO, August 19, 2026.

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