Biden-Harris Administration Awards Nearly $5.9 Million to Colorado in ‘Internet for All’ Planning Grants

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced that Colorado received its first “Internet for All” grants for deploying high-speed Internet networks and developing digital skills training programs under the Biden-Harris Administration’s Internet for All initiative. Colorado is receiving $5,897,116.45 in funding from the Infrastructure investment and Jobs Act, signed by President Biden, to plan for the deployment and adoption of affordable, equitable, and reliable high-speed Internet service throughout the state. Through the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program, Colorado will receive $4,999,997.43 to fund various activities including:

• Identification of unserved and underserved locations;
• Capacity-building and employee training of Colorado’s broadband office;
• Asset mapping across Colorado to catalog high-speed Internet service adoption, affordability, equity, access and deployment;
• Creating a 5-year "Advance Colorado Broadband" plan;
• Cataloguing high-speed Internet service adoption and equity activities occurring within Colorado;
• Engagement with stakeholders to understand barriers to high-speed Internet service adoption.

For Digital Equity Act planning efforts, Colorado will receive $897,119.02 to fund various activities including:

• Creation of a Colorado Digital Equity plan;
• Staff recruitment; Efforts to engage with community members and stakeholders;
• Collection and analysis of data.