Colorado’s share comes from some $42.5 billion being sent to the states and territories in what officials are touting as the largest federal investment in broadband in the country’s history.
“This exciting federal support builds upon our work to make sure Coloradans can access high-speed, reliable internet,” Gov. Jared Polis said in a statement. “Here in Colorado, we continue to make bold progress towards our goal of connecting 99% of Colorado households to affordable, high-speed broadband by 2027 and we welcome the needed federal support to help connect more Coloradans.”
About 90% of Colorado households already have access to high-speed internet, defined as download speeds of 100 megabits per second and upload speeds of 20 megabits per second, according to theMost underserved counties are in rural, mountainous parts of the state. Fourteen of the 16 counties where less than half of the households have access to high-speed broadband have a population of less than 10,000 people, according to the most recent census.
Colorado’s money will be prioritized toward residents without access to reliable and affordable high-speed internet, Polis spokesperson Melissa Dworkin said. It will also go to digital literacy, workforce development, broadband deployment, digital equity initiatives, and connecting local hubs like libraries and community centers.