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With the new year, CBO is excited to launch the Broadband Ready Community Program. This program will create an opportunity for communities in Colorado to become “broadband ready” ahead of upcoming historic federal funding disbursement. Through the past year of stakeholder engagement, we have gathered that local communities could greatly benefit from a guided approach to understanding their broadband needs as they begin to plan long-term projects. We have developed a list of tasks (“Broadband Community Checklist” to be posted to our website soon) that communities can adopt on their way to becoming broadband ready. Becoming certified as a Broadband Ready Certified Community with the CBO not only equips and educates local communities but also identifies them as willing partners that have minimized barriers to broadband infrastructure deployment. Utilization of the Checklist is voluntary and a Broadband Ready Certified Community designation is not required to receive funding via the Advance Colorado Broadband program.
Join us at the Advance Industry Roundtable on Jan. 17 and the Advance Community Leader Roundtable on Jan. 18. where we will discuss the Broadband Ready Community Program in detail.
You can help improve the accuracy of Colorado’s broadband coverage on the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) National Broadband Map. This map determines our state’s share of a $42.45 billion broadband investment from the federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program. Here is what you can do before Jan. 13, 2023:
Go to https://broadbandmap.fcc.gov/home and enter your address.
- If there is not a dot on the address you entered, drop a pin on the map, click Location Challenge, and submit the requested information.
- If the information about the broadband service offerings available at the location you entered needs to be corrected, click Availability Challenge, and submit the requested information.
Encourage your family, friends and neighbors to do the same!
Your input will improve the accuracy of the map and thereby ultimately improve the internet experience for the residents in your town or county.
The CBO is excited to announce a new partnership with Tilson Technology Management (Tilson) to provide support for the Advance Colorado Broadband Grant Program. Tilson is a multi-specialty consulting and infrastructure company with expertise in telecommunications, construction, government, utilities and fiber internet industries. The CBO will utilize Tilson’s expertise to develop grant guidelines for federal broadband grant programs, implement software application tools and grant portal for subrecipients, provide technical assistance to inform program design, rules, challenge process, grant application reviews, and support compliance and monitoring of broadband projects. Tilson and the CBO are excited to work together to launch the official application and program guidelines in 2023.
Please be reminded that the BDB will continue to accept applications for the Winter 2023 Grant Cycle until Jan. 15 (11:59 PM MST). As you prepare your application, be sure to reference the new guidance and policy documents which were published last month. Visit our website to learn more about the application process.
The Office of the Future of Work (OFOW) is hiring a Digital Navigator Program Administrator. This is a new position that will collaborate with Serve Colorado to oversee a team of digital navigators working to support people with barriers to digital literacy across the state. Applications will be accepted online through Jan. 13. Learn more about the OFOW and Digital Equity efforts here.
The CBO is dedicated to engaging with community leaders and stakeholders across Colorado to learn more about local broadband needs. To request the attendance of a CBO staff member at your meeting or event, please email us at oit_broadband@state.co.us or visit our website to contact your region’s project manager.
CBO Attends Axios Roundtable Discussion
On Dec. 8, the CBO attended the Axios Expert Voices roundtable discussion focused on the role of network connectivity and internet access in today’s hybrid workforce. Read an event summary here.
Comcast Headend Visit
On Dec. 14, members of the CBO joined David Krook, Comcast's senior director of headend engineering, for a tour of the company's new Intel servers at its Denver headquarters. The servers, five years in the making, enable multi gig internet speeds.
 CBO team members with David Crook of Comcast
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