|
|
Happy New Year! The Colorado Broadband Office is excited to start 2021 by sharing a few updates and event reminders with you.
What's inside:
The monthly Broadband Advisory Board meeting, set for 9 a.m. on Jan. 19, will feature a presentation from the Pew Charitable Trust on best practices for Broadband Deployment. Visit the Broadband Advisory Board page on our website for the agenda, public comment policy, and information on future meetings.
Register Now
|
|
|
The monthly Lunch & Learn webinar will take place at noon on Jan. 26. This session will feature the Front Range GigaPoP (FRGP), a network serving Colorado, Wyoming, and soon parts of New Mexico. Closely tied to the FRGP is the Bi-State Optical Network (BiSON), which provides the underlying infrastructure to deliver affordable, high-speed connectivity to FRGP participants.
Register Now
|
|
|
The spring data collection window for the Colorado Broadband Map will open Jan. 19 and close March 5.
Data accuracy is one of the key topics discussed in the Governor’s Broadband Initiatives Report, released in October 2020, and we are constantly striving to make improvements to the accuracy of our data. To support this effort, we are requesting that providers submit data in accordance with the FCC Rulemaking from July 2020 for broadband coverage polygons that reflect:
- maximum download and upload speeds available in each area,
- the technology used to provide the service, and
- a differentiation among residential-only, business-only, or residential-and-business broadband services.
We understand there is concern around privacy and therefore, we have established a data sharing NDA. Please contact us if you would like to execute this NDA so that we can complete that process and receive your “broadband coverage polygons” (as defined by FCC) data submission before the March 5 deadline.
Don’t wait until March 5! Our team will start reaching out on Tuesday, Jan. 19, and we encourage you to submit your data as early as possible to avoid any unforeseen issues. Feel free to contact us with any questions or if you want to get started with the data submission process today!
|
|
|
The Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act of 2021 includes several provisions that address broadband deployment, digital inclusion, and broadband affordability.
The CRRSA appropriated nearly $7.8 billion to broadband programs at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and National Telecommunication and Information Administration (NTIA). Some of the funding will go into existing programs, like $635 million for the USDA’s Reconnect Program, while other funding will be used to establish new programs, like the $3.2 billion Emergency Broadband Connectivity Fund to provide monthly discounts on broadband service to households.
In addition to these broadband-specific appropriations, $82 billion will go to the U.S. Department of Education for the continuation of CARES Act programs, many of which support broadband connectivity.
Visit our website for a summary of the appropriations and funding programs. The CRRSA was enacted on Dec. 27, 2020, so there are still many aspects and details that have not been ironed out. We will be following the funding closely and provide updates on comment cycles, application deadlines, allocations, and how the funding will be used in Colorado.
|
|
|
|
