Longmont, Colorado Addresses Student Broadband Lack With Grant

A $1.3 million state grant is helping Longmont (CO) expand broadband service to K-12 students enrolled in the National School Lunch Program.  The project involves a partnership between NextLight, Longmont’s fiber-optic broadband system, and the St. Vrain Valley School District (SVVSD). NextLight Executive Director Valerie Dodd said the money will be used to do three things: stand up a Wi-Fi network in areas with low Internet penetration and income challenges, revive a decommissioned wireless network in and around the city, and expand NextLight’s fiber footprint into areas on the periphery of the city. The project will result in a better long-term connectivity fix for SVVSD students in need.