Fed BEAD grant to award CO $420 million for hi-speed access in state - Denver Post
Thomas Clayton
Award would add mix of fiber, satellite access with focus on rural areas
The federal government is set to award Colorado $420 million to bolster high-speed internet access in the state, enough to connect nearly 100,000 Colorado locations to broadband.
The federal grant, known as the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment, or BEAD, program, will help pay for about 45,700 new locations to be connected to fiber optic cable and about 47,700 to be connected via low-earth orbit satellites, pending final review. Another 2,690 locations will be connected by wireless technologies, according to a map provided by the state when it announced Tuesday that a federal agency had approved the state’s final proposal.
Many of the locations are in El Paso, Elbert and Weld counties; in mountain communities along U.S. 285; and other communities spread along the Front Range. The grant is also aimed at increasing access to tribal communities in southwest Colorado.
“For too long, thousands of Coloradans have been stuck without the reliable, high-speed internet needed to work, learn, run a business, or access health care. This historic investment will help ensure that Coloradans have access to affordable, reliable high-speed internet required to thrive,” Gov. Jared Polis said in a statement.
Brandy Reitter, the executive director of the Colorado Broadband Office, said the approval resulted from “years of intensive planning and application processes,” and it amounted to “a monumental win for rural Coloradans.”
The program was created as part of the Infrastructure, Investment and Jobs Act, commonly known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, that was passed during the Biden administration. The program set aside $42.5 billion for state grants.
State officials initially celebrated winning up to $826 million through the program in 2023. About 90% of the state was classified as having broadband access then, or about 191,000 households short of Polis’ goal of 99% connectivity by 2027. That award would have been enough to reach that goal.
Now, the state has reached about 95% connectivity, or about 100,000 households short of Polis’ goal, according to data from the broadband office.
According to a draft approval provided by Polis’ office, the award was decreased in part because of overall reductions in spending per location and in the number of locations to be served. Revised rules for the application put an emphasis on cost, allowing the state to prioritize cheaper satellite broadband over fiber.
As part of the award, subgrantees are contributing $166 million in matching dollars, and the state is contributing $51 million, much of it to help reduce implementation costs.
The state still hopes to use the remaining $400 million from the 2023 federal program award for other related projects, a state spokesman said.
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration, which approved Colorado’s proposal, did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday afternoon.
The approval kicks off a 20-day review period by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The state will then have 30 days to review and sign off on the plan. That will allow the state to begin drawing down the money and officially moving on with the project.
 | Tom Clayton Communication and Media Specialist, Public Affairs |
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