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.
The Colorado Broadband Office (CBO) has created county level maps to support the deployment of the Capital Projects Funds in Colorado. These maps represent the most accurate information currently available to the CBO, including broadband coverage, infrastructure, community anchor institutions (CAIs), Broadband Fund awards, and a selection of federal funding information for each county. Please note that there are two maps to represent each county: one shows CAIs and Funding, and the other shows Infrastructure and Advertised Service.
The CBO has posted a Request For Proposals (RFP) for Grant Services Program consulting and development for the Colorado Broadband Office Capital Project Funds (CPF) Grant Program. The RFP was published April 1 and closes May 2 at 2 p.m. MDT.
The Universal Service Administration Company (USAC) is hosting training webinars for service providers to learn about the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP):
On Mar. 3 the CBO held an Executive Order Discussion to discuss the details of Executive Order D 2022 009. The discussion focused on the elements of the Broadband Strategic Plan, including the roadmap, the process for soliciting feedback and engaging industry and community leaders, and strategies to address digital connectivity across the state.
On Feb. 17, Governor Polis signed an Executive Order directing the Colorado Broadband Office (CBO) to develop a Broadband Strategic Plan to connect 99% of Colorado households to high-speed broadband by 2027.