Colorado pledges 99% broadband connectivity by 2027

Colorado secured a whopping $826 million in funding from the federal Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program, which according to state lawmakers will help connect over 99% of Coloradan homes by the start of 2027. The collaboration of federal agencies, namely the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the Federal Communications Commission, along with Colorado’s local stakeholders, served as a model for “how work gets done,” said Brandy Reitter, the Executive Director of the Colorado broadband office. As of now there are around 190,000 Colorado homes and businesses that have “very limited access, little access or no access at all to internet,” Gov. Jared Polis (D-CO) noted, many of which are in rural communities. Colorado will use its BEAD investment more effectively, Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO) said, by allowing eligible municipalities, tribes, citizens, and organizations to apply for funding and “actually do the deployment, the work, with the state's direction.” Over the past couple of years, Colorado has received over $1.3 billion to help expand internet across the state.