A Colorado for All Requires Broadband Investment

In 2012, Governor John Hickenlooper (D-CO) charged the Colorado Office of Information Technology (OIT) with overseeing and coordinating broadband activity across state agencies. In 2016, OIT created the Colorado Broadband Office. The office enables the development of a statewide digital communications infrastructure through public-private partnerships to meet the growing demand for broadband access in the key sectors of public safety, education, health care, transportation and for all Coloradans. The state legislature codified the broadband office in 2021. On February 17, 2022, Governor Jared Polis (D-CO) directed the Colorado Broadband Office to develop a Broadband Strategic Plan to connect 99 percent of Colorado households to high-speed broadband by 2027. In June 2022, Governor Polis signed an executive order outlining directives on Accelerating Broadband Deployment in Colorado.