FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Monday, September 13, 2010

COLORADO LAWMAKERS ANNOUNCE $100 MILLION GRANT FOR

RURAL BROADBAND IN COLORADO

Members urged support for Colorado program to create jobs,

boost economic development

WASHINGTON—Members of Colorado’s congressional delegation today joined U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke in announcing more than $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.

“As representatives of Colorado’s congressional delegation, we are well aware of the inconsistent and in some case, completely non-existent high speed broadband services for some of our most vulnerable communities,” the lawmakers wrote. “EAGLE-net will serve as the non-profit network to community anchor institutions throughout the state, including 178 K-12 school districts serving over 2,000 schools and 800,000 students, 16 community colleges, 26 libraries, 12 BOCES, two institutions of higher education, public safety and health care providers, as well as city and county governments. Wholesale services offered through EAGLE-net are expected to stimulate the offering of affordable broadband access for more than 1.2 million households and more than 49,000 businesses.”

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