Washington, D.C. — Today, Colorado U.S. Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper welcomed the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) funding announcement of a middle mile infrastructure project that will connect over 41,000 households and small businesses in Pueblo to high-speed internet. Funding for this project is made available from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) that Bennet and Hickenlooper helped pass.
“Middle mile broadband infrastructure underpins networks across the state, helping connect households, farms, and small businesses to high-speed internet. This funding will work to connect 41,000 homes in Pueblo, but more support for Colorado’s middle mile infrastructure is needed. I will keep pushing to ensure Colorado receives its fair share of federal broadband funding and to connect every Coloradan with 21st century infrastructure,” said Bennet.
“This project will connect small businesses and families to high-speed internet and propel Pueblo’s already growing economy,” said Hickenlooper. “We wrote the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law with Colorado in mind, and this project proves that.”
Middle mile infrastructure projects connect regional and national internet networks to carry large amounts of data over long distances, increase the capacity of local networks, boost network resiliency, and lower the cost of high-speed internet access for unserved communities.
The $2.7 million grant made possible through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will build 78,129 feet of aerial and 29,173 feet of underground fiber to provide a protected ring from the Pueblo datacenter and connect over 41,000 homes and small businesses to high-speed broadband services, including for schools, libraries, medical centers, fire departments, and government buildings.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s middle mile infrastructure funding builds on Bennet’s longtime leadership to ensure access to affordable, high-speed broadband for every American. The BIL’s BEAD program–the single largest broadband investment in American history–is based on the bipartisan BRIDGE Act that Bennet introduced in June 2021 to provide flexible funding to states, Tribal governments, U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia to deploy affordable, high-speed networks and support local initiatives to promote broadband affordability, adoption, and inclusion.