DENVER - Today, Lt. Governor Dianne Primavera joined Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Commissioner Geoffrey Starks and Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser at an event hosted and led by the Denver Housing Authority to increase awareness of the $14.2 billion Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) and help more than 600,000 eligible Colorado households save money on their monthly internet bills.
“We live in a time where reliable access to the internet is essential,” said Lt. Governor Dianne Primavera. “It allows us to attend classes, apply for jobs, pay bills, connect with healthcare providers and loved ones, and so much more. I’m excited that the Affordable Connectivity Program will help connect more Coloradans with internet access, ensuring that the ability to afford high-speed internet doesn’t determine outcomes for students, families, and seniors.”
Announced in May, ACP provides eligible households up to $30 per month off their internet bills and a one-time discount of $100 to purchase a computer or tablet from their internet provider. Homes on tribal lands are eligible to receive a discount of up to $75 off monthly internet service. There are more than 90 participating ACP internet providers in Colorado.
“The Colorado Broadband Office estimates that approximately 761,000 Colorado households are eligible for the program, but only twenty percent of households have enrolled,” the office’s Executive Director, Brandy Reitter, explained. “We want to generate awareness of the Affordable Connectivity Program since reliable broadband connectivity is no longer a nice-to-have, it’s a need-to-have.”
“Addressing the digital divide is an imperative and a civil rights issue. No Coloradan should be left without access to affordable broadband. The Affordable Connectivity Program provides that opportunity and the Attorney General’s Office will do all we can to promote its use,” Attorney General Phil Weiser said.
In addition to providing community outreach around ACP and working with state agencies to reach eligible families, the Colorado Broadband Office is tasked with delivering on Governor Polis’ goal to connect 99% of Colorado households to affordable, high-speed broadband by 2027. Over the next few years, Colorado will receive millions of federal dollars for broadband expansion projects and the CBO will oversee the deployment of that money. Announced in June, the CBO’s new grant program, Advance Colorado Broadband, will award federal funds to broadband infrastructure projects essential to bridging the digital divide and bringing fast, reliable and affordable high-speed internet to all Coloradans.
Eligible Colorado households can enroll in the Affordable Connectivity Program at fcc.gov/ACP.