October 2023

In 2021, Congress provided $65 billion to close the digital divide. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is responsible for administering most of this money, including the $42.45 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, which will provide states grant money to award providers to deploy broadband networks in unserved and underserved areas. We are concerned about state plans that propose to use funds in ways that will not provide universal connectivity or that are contrary to law.

Overall satisfaction among wireless internet customers (5G or 4G LTE home internet) averages 748 (on a 1,000-point scale), while overall satisfaction among wired (fiber and cable) and satellite internet customers averages notably lower (712 and 577, respectively) according to the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Residential Internet Service Provider Satisfaction Study.

The Colorado Broadband Office received 112 applications from 37 entities requesting broadband funding through the Advance Colorado Broadband grant program. The total funding requested totals $643 million, which is almost four times more than the $162 million budgeted for the program. The network operators requesting the funding offered to contribute a total of almost $312 million in matching funds for projects in 47 counties. Thirty counties received one application, and 17 counties received more than one.