Southern Colorado Economic Development District –  Broadband Update

SCEDD Broadband Initiative

The world of broadband is an active one, and SCEDD has been busy working towards the Colorado Broadband Office’s Capital Project Fund (CPF) grant application deadline on August 21st. We have reviewed and scored responses to our “Request for Partnership” and are very excited about the opportunities to collaborate and achieve our project goals. It is our aim to distribute letters of intent to selected partners the week of July 17. These partnerships will enable the development of strong regional broadband projects that will both be eligible for CPF grant funding and help SCEDD construct portions of the middle-mile routes proposed in the SCEDD Broadband Implementation Blueprint.

Grant Outlook

The new fiber plant built under the CPF program, covering both the middle and last mile, will pave the way for robust last-mile networks funded by the larger forthcoming Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program in 2024. Last month, the FCC announced that Colorado would receive a substantial federal BEAD allocation of $826,522,650. This remarkable, once-in-a-generation grant opportunity will augment the work SCEDD is currently planning and promote economic development by bridging the digital divide in Southern Colorado.