Congressman Salazar Announces $100 Million Grant for Rural Broadband in Colorado

Grant will connect all 178 Colorado School Districts

WASHINGTON D.C.—U.S. Congressman John T. Salazar announed $100 million in grant funding for the Longmont-based Centennial Board of Cooperative Education Services through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

This $100.6 million grant, with an additional $34.7 million in matching contributions, will allow Centennial Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) to offer affordable middle-mile broadband service in Colorado, with a particular focus on serving rural and underserved school districts. The project plans to improve broadband access for as many as 230 community institutions. As many as 3.8 million people stand to benefit as well as 50,000 businesses.

Congressman Salazar offered the following remarks on today's announcement:
 
"As a rancher from Southwest Colorado, I have seen the impact of both the availability and lack of broadband access on our small and rural communities.  Closing the broadband gap is a challenge that impacts various sectors from education to economic development.  The gap is a particular burden for our rural communities.  Factors ranging from population, distance and geography make these areas less attractive to broadband companies when considering where to build out network infrastructure.  By meeting this obstacle we can make a substantive impact on the lives of rural Coloradans.

"With this grant, Eagle Net hopes to improve connectivity with the goal of connecting all 178 school districts in Colorado.  As the Representative of Colorado’s largest and most rural Congressional District, I know that broadband access is critical to promoting the economic growth of the region.  With projects such as this one, we can ensure that rural Colorado’s youth have access to the same technology that their peers in major urban centers.  This is an investment in the competitiveness of our students, workforce and future leaders."