After much anticipation, President Biden and Vice President Harris announced earlier this week the state and territory allocations for the Broadband, Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) fund. Colorado is set to receive more than we anticipated: $826.5 million!
This once-in-a-generation level of federal funding is slated for broadband infrastructure and digital literacy programs in the state of Colorado. As part of the Biden administration's "Internet for All" program, the BEAD money will help Colorado reach Governor Polis’ goal to connect 99% of households to high-speed broadband by 2027.
The Colorado Broadband Office (CBO) is preparing a five-year plan for using the BEAD money that will be made available by the end of the summer. CBO will start taking applications for the BEAD funding in 2024 through the Advance Colorado Broadband grant program. Want to be ready? Ensure your community is “Broadband Ready.” Learn more about the program and check out the CBO’s Broadband Ready Community Checklist.
We want to thank the Biden administration for these transformative dollars, which is part of the largest broadband investment in American history. We also appreciate Governor Polis, Senator Bennet and Senator Hickenlooper for their significant efforts to bring these dollars home to Colorado.
This money is crucial to building a connected and prosperous Colorado, and we look forward to working with people and organizations across the state to bridge the digital divide. Continue to check broadband.colorado.gov/advance-colorado-broadband for information on BEAD funding in Colorado and our Broadband in the News page to read more about this historic investment.