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Digital Download
Digital Equity Monthly Newsletter
December 2024
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The Digital Download is your place for monthly updates from the Colorado Digital Equity team.
The Digital Equity Team is led by the Office of the Future of Work in partnership with the Office of eHealth Innovation. The state’s digital equity infrastructure work is supported by the Colorado Broadband Office, which oversees Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) and other broadband infrastructure funding.
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Colorado’s Digital Access Work
What is the Digital Equity Act?
In 2021, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, or Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), was passed by Congress. The legislation contains significant funding for traditional infrastructure, including road improvements, airport upgrades, and making power infrastructure more resilient. There are also two national infrastructure projects that are improving Americans’ ability to access information online: Broadband Equity, Access & Deployment (BEAD) and the Digital Equity Act (DEA).
The Colorado Broadband Office (CBO) is implementing the BEAD program. Advance Colorado Broadband is the CBO's state-managed broadband grant program and includes BEAD, Capital Project Funds (CPF) and a new Advance-Local broadband program. The CBO oversees funding and awards grantees that will significantly increase affordable, high-speed broadband across Colorado.
At the same time, the Office of the Future of Work’s (OFW) Digital Equity Team will implement the state’s Digital Access Plan over the next five years. Affordable, high- speed broadband is a vital component of digital equity; however, connectivity alone will not guarantee Coloradans are safely and successfully able to accomplish online tasks, work from home, or pursue educational opportunities. OFW expects to receive just over $12 million from the Digital Equity Act within the next month or so. Once the funds are received, the Digital Equity Team will start to build the state’s digital inclusion ecosystem.
Colorado’s Digital Inclusion Ecosystem
Just as in nature, Colorado’s vision for a digital inclusion ecosystem is an interconnected system, whose many parts interact with each other and must maintain a balance between them. The parts of a digital inclusion ecosystem include:
- Digital devices (including computers and mobile devices)
- Digital skills (including knowledge of safety and cybersecurity measures)
- Funding (from grants, philanthropy, and other sources)
- Connectivity (high-speed, affordable internet)
- Advocacy and awareness
- Cross-sector organizational relationships (including local governments, libraries, healthcare providers, schools for children and adults, senior services, family services, nonprofit organizations, etc.)
Just as pollution in a pond can impact the organisms that live there, lack of connectivity or computers can prevent residents in a community from thriving.
To ensure as many Coloradans and organizations are able to participate in Colorado’s digital inclusion work as possible, Colorado’s digital inclusion ecosystem will consist of a network of cross-sector coalitions that represent counties or regions across the state. Colorado is known for its value of local control, and the Digital Equity Team will honor that control while providing support to lessen the burden of executing the state plan on communities.
The Digital Equity Team expects to release a request for applications for fiscal access partners in January. Fiscal access partners will serve as 501(c)3s for coalitions, and will manage the receipt and distribution of federal funds on behalf of the community-based coalitions. Once the fiscal access partners have been selected, the Digital Equity Team will work with them to identify regions or counties interested in forming digital inclusion coalitions. More information will be available once Digital Equity Act funding is received!
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 Colorado’s Broadband Workforce
Colorado has more than $1 billion in state and federal funding available to improve internet availability, bringing thousands of high-quality jobs and careers in telecom for Colorado residents over the next few years. The jobs needed are in telecommunications, construction, engineering and technicians. The Colorado Broadband Office (CBO) collaborates with the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE), other state agencies, industry partners, universities and high schools, labor unions, and nonprofit organizations to create workforce training curriculums and programs and find and inform potential workers.
For more information, watch Advance Colorado’s Broadband Workforce video, and visit the Broadband Workforce site.
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 Digital Navigator Nook
Digital Access for Southwestern Colorado Residents
Michelle Wagner began offering digital navigation services at the Durango Workforce Center in July 2024, helping people in La Plata County improve their digital skills and access important resources. Since starting, Michelle has held 150 appointments with community members.
In addition to her one-on-one meetings, Michelle travels throughout La Plata County to raise awareness about her services. She helps people:
- Access affordable internet service
- Obtain low- or no-cost devices
- Learn essential digital skills
The assistance Michelle provides can range from teaching someone how to use a keyboard and mouse to helping them set up an email account and learning to use it.
Michelle also offers Senior Planet programs to small groups at the Pine River Community Library and the Ignacio Library.
Helping Jobseekers with Limited Digital Skills
At the Durango Workforce Center, many people also come to Michelle for help setting up unemployment accounts on Colorado’s MyUI+ system and applying for benefits. While some Coloradans can do this from home, many lack the internet or skills to navigate the system. Michelle works with these individuals to build their digital skills, so they can manage tasks like unemployment applications independently in the future.
Supporting Older Adults
Living near the community of Bayfield, Michelle has connected with the Pine River Community Library and the Pine River Senior Center to make her services more accessible to older residents who prefer not to travel far. Many older adults face challenges like managing passwords, which can prevent them from accessing critical services like telehealth or prescription management. Michelle provides hands-on support to update accounts, set up secure two-factor authentication, and teach cybersecurity basics.
Upskilling to Expand Employment Opportunities
In La Plata County, more than 43% of jobs are in the service industry, with tourism accounting for about 30%. Many of these jobs are physically demanding, and workers aged 40–60 often look for less strenuous opportunities as they age or recover from injuries. Michelle helps these residents develop the digital skills needed to explore new career paths and stay competitive in the job market.
Where to Find Michelle
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Durango Workforce Center: Mondays, Wednesdays, and the 1st/3rd Thursdays of the month
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Pine River Community Library: Tuesdays
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Pine River Senior Center: 2nd/4th Thursdays of the month
Contact Michelle at 720-556-9102 or michelle.l.wagner@state.co.us for assistance.
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Coalition Corner
Welcome, Katie Fox!
Katie joins Colorado’s Digital Equity Team as one of two new Digital Inclusion Coalition Liaisons. She will be supporting counties and regions interested in creating coalitions, and will help them create their own digital access plans to align with Colorado’s plan.
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Digital Equity Events
Digital Equity Stakeholder Meeting
For anyone interested in finding out more about the state’s digital inclusion work, please join us virtually on Tuesday, January 28, at noon. Digital Equity Stakeholder meetings usually take place every other month on the fourth Tuesday. Register on Zoom.
Digital Navigator Community of Practice
Navigators, staff who support them, and other stakeholders are invited to attend the monthly Community of Practice (CoP) on the last Wednesday of each month.
The next CoP will take place on Wednesday, January 29, 2025, 8:30 AM. Register on Zoom.
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Contact Us
Digital Equity Team
Colorado Dept of Labor & Employment
633 17th Street, Suite 201
Denver, CO 80202
digitalequity@state.co.us
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