Washington, D.C. — Colorado U.S. Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper alongside Colorado Governor Jared Polis welcomed the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) approval of Colorado’s proposal to extend high-speed internet across the state. Colorado plans to achieve this goal using $826 million in funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program.
“Affordable, high-speed broadband is essential for modern American life. Colorado helps lead the way on successful implementation of the BEAD Program, which will bridge the digital divide for communities across Colorado — especially our rural areas, low-income neighborhoods, and communities of color,” said Bennet.
“Our Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the largest investment in high-speed and affordable broadband ever, is closing the digital divide for Tribes and small business owners in rural communities across Colorado,” said Hickenlooper. “We’re ready to finish what we’ve started.”
“Colorado is excited to expand reliable, high-speed broadband across our state and this approval of our plans for BEAD funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will accelerate those efforts,” said Polis. “I was pleased to be the first governor in the nation to support this law and I thank the Biden administration for their partnership. We look forward to seeing even more Colorado households get access to the internet they need to thrive.”
The BEAD program is the largest broadband investment in American history, and provides funding to build essential infrastructure and connect communities to high-speed internet. The program is based on Bennet’s bipartisan BRIDGE Act, which was incorporated into the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. With NTIA’s official approval, Colorado can now access and begin to distribute federal funding to build out high-speed broadband in underserved communities across the state.