On Sept. 19, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced updates to their Federal Funding webpage which acts as a "one-stop shop" for applicants seeking federal funding.
On September 20 and 21, the CBO hosted it's first round of Advance Industry and Community Roundtable meetings. In order to establish a regular cadence of communication with our partners, the CBO will hold these Roundtable meetings bi-monthly. The slides and recordings from the first Industry and Community Roundtable discussions can be found below.
Advance Industry Roundtable (Sept. 20):
On September 15, the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE), along with the CBO, hosted a webinar to discuss the Digital Equity (DE) Planning Grant and Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). We reviewed what to expect from the DE planning process, the program timeline and our proposed activities. We discussed how the Digital Equity Committee will replace the Subcommittee on Digital Literacy and Inclusion and how to get involved. Additionally, the CBO gave an overview of the ACP and how it can benefit Colorado communities. View the recording and slides below.
On September 14 & 15, the CBO hosted webinars to discuss learnings and best practices surrounding the 87 Letters Of Intent (LOIs) our team received for broadband projects across the state. Presentation slides and recording can be found below. Learn more about LOIs and the Advance Colorado Broadband Grant Program on our website.
The Colorado Broadband Office (CBO) would like to announce new opportunities to engage with us on the development of our broadband expansion plan and deployment of funds through our Advance Colorado Broadband grant program. The best strategy to address Colorado's areas in need of broadband is to work together. Therefore, we are establishing a regular cadence of communication with our partners.
On Wednesday, Lt. Governor Dianne Primavera met with Geoffrey Starks of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser to increase awareness surrounding the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP).
As part of the Internet for All initiative, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is responsible for awarding the $48 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program, which will grant each state $100 million and allocate the remaining money based on number of unserved households. NTIA will rely on the data being collected as part of the FCC’s Broadband Data Collection (BDC) to identify these unserved locations. The FCC’s new Broadband Map will be used to help states fund projects that achieve universal high-speed internet access.
The Colorado Broadband Office (CBO) within the Governor’s Office of Information Technology (OIT) has launched a new grant program to support broadband expansion and modernization throughout the state.
The Colorado Broadband Office hosted two webinars to review the letter of intent (LOI) to apply for broadband grants. The CBO answered questions on this first step in deploying funds from federal broadband programs.
Recordings and Slides are available below:
On June 2, Governor Polis signed an Executive Order restating and amending the Executive Order on Accelerating Broadband Deployment in Colorado, creating a single streamlined directive concerning broadband access in Colorado.