News

Colorado has secured $420.6 million in federal funding from the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program to expand high-speed internet.

The money will be used to bring reliable broadband access to over 96,000 Coloradans in rural and underserved areas, moving the state closer to its goal of connecting 99% of all residents. Governor Jared Polis called the historic investment critical for ensuring Coloradans can work, learn, and access healthcare.

The CBO has launched the Broadband Ready Community Program to accelerate the state's goal of connecting 99% of households to high-speed internet by 2027.

The program is built around the Broadband Ready Community Checklist (BRCC), a voluntary guide for local jurisdictions to plan and execute connectivity projects across four key readiness areas (Planning, Partnership Model, Local/Regional Planning, and Communications).

The CBO has launched a new Technical Assistance Program to help its CPF grantees meet mandatory federal cybersecurity and supply chain security standards required for their Capital Projects Fund (CPF) grants. The application window is open; details are available on the Technical Assistance Program webpage.

Visionary Broadband announced it has successfully completed a project to bring high-speed fiber internet to over 1,000 new homes and businesses in Pagosa Springs, Colorado. The project was supported by a federal Capital Projects Fund (CPF) grant, administered through the CBO's Advance Colorado Broadband program. Read more about this project.

The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE) and the Digital Access team are excited to announce Digital Inclusion Week, taking place from October 6-10.

This nationwide event is an annual tradition dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of digital inclusion and celebrating those who work to advance digital equity in their communities. This year, Colorado’s Digital Access Team is focusing on the crucial role that partnerships play in making digital inclusion a reality.

The CBO is excited to announce the Advance Colorado Broadband Mini Grant Program for funds from both the Capital Projects Fund (CPF) and State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF). Approximately $800K is currently available for awards.

For more information on the program please read the Advance Colorado Broadband Mini Grant Program Guidelines and review the map of eligible locations located on the CPF webpage.

As part of the BEAD process the CBO requested public comment on the Final Proposal before submission to the NTIA. The public comment period was held to promote transparency and gather feedback from all of CBO’s stakeholders. As part of our commitment to transparency, the CBO has released a summary of feedback received.

The CBO submitted our Final Proposal for the BEAD grant awards to the NTIA on Wednesday, Sept. 3. The BEAD Final Proposal details the projects we have selected for funding from the NTIA’s Benefit of the Bargain Round, specifying the areas that will receive BEAD funding to add or improve high-speed, reliable internet access. The NTIA will now review our proposal and either approve or revise our BEAD awards.

A visual representation of the proposed CBO BEAD awards is below.

The Final Proposal details the outcomes of the NTIA’s Benefit of the Bargain Round of applications, presenting a map of areas in Colorado that will receive BEAD funding, information on awarded providers, and proposed funding amounts. Colorado intends to connect 48% of eligible locations via fiber, 50% through low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite, and 2% using wireless providers. 

The annual Mountain Connect Conference brings together key broadband collaborators from across the country. This year's conference will be held August 4-6 at the Downtown Denver Sheraton Hotel in Denver, Colorado.

Come see Colorado Broadband Office staff members on the following panels: