BEAD Funding for Rural Connectivity in Colorado

BEAD funding is a federal program that will increase rural connectivity across Colorado.

What is BEAD funding and why is it important for Colorado residents?

BEAD stands for Broadband Equity, Access, and Development (BEAD) program. It is a $42.5B US government subsidy to expand broadband infrastructure across the United States and other US territories. US territories include Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands. BEAD was authorized by Congress and is being implemented by the US Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).

BEAD funding is intended for new communications infrastructure builds, as well as the upgrade of slower networks, multi-family WiFi, broadband adoption, and related work force development projects. BEAD was authorized by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, Public Law 117-58 (signed November 15, 2021), also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

How much of the BEAD funding will Colorado receive?

Based on the initial broadband penetration statistics and proposals, Colorado will receive $826M of federal BEAD funding. It’s important to note that these funds will be augmented by private matching investment in the funded projects, bringing the actual deployed dollars to a much higher level.

What problem is BEAD funding intended to solve?

BEAD funding is intended to bridge the digital divide and ensure equal internet access to all Americans. It’s often cited that internet access is a super social determinant of health, providing wide benefits for individuals and families. Today, ~80% of US homes access broadband internet through home connections. That leaves 20% of households without fast access to the world’s knowledge.

What is the digital divide?

The digital divide is the difference between homes that have fast, cheap access to the internet, and those that don’t. These homes without fast, cheap broadband access are called “underserved households.” This is broadly defined as locations without a broadband connection, speeds less thank 3 Mbps upload/25 Mbps download, or latency greater than 100 milliseconds.

Families without reliable internet are disadvantaged because they are unable to access many modern services. This can include telehealth, research for school age children, weather information, and e-learning. Additionally, many rural areas can only access the internet over expensive (defined as >$50/mo) satellite providers.

Colorado BEAD eligibility map of the Chatfield Reservoir area of Douglas and Jefferson counties

What parts of Colorado suffer from the digital divide?

Colorado is a bit unique in terms of the types of locations that suffer from the digital divide. In Colorado, the mountainous topography and recent population growth has created pockets of underserved locations where you might not expect them.

For example, the I-70 corridor through Genesse / Soda Creek area is dotted with unserved and underserved homes. This is quite interesting as many of the homes in this area are worth well over a million dollars.

In general, most of the locations that suffer from the digital divide and will be eligible for BEAD projects are rural or recent development. This trend can be seen in the Colorado Broadband Advance BEAD eligibility map.

Colorado BEAD eligibility map of the Soda Creek potion of the I-70 corridor

How will BEAD Funds impact Colorado?

Ultimately, BEAD funded projects will transform connectivity for rural Colorado. This will positively impact the digital divide by bringing broadband speeds and throughput to rural populations. By bringing better internet access to these areas, it will enable education, health, and future business expansion in these parts of Colroado.

How will BEAD funds get deployed in Colorado?

As of October 2024, Colorado has already gone through a mapping and classification project to identify locations eligible for BEAD funding. This process resulted in locations being determined as served, underserved, or unserved. Projects to expand broadband access to unserved and underserved locations will be eligible for Colorado BEAD funding.

The next step in the process is for private industry to develop and propose projects that could be augmented with BEAD funding. This process is known as the Advance BEAD Grant Application and will be open through October 28, 2024. Submittals for BEAD funding must include a standard contract with the state, a detailed project plan, and budget (among other requirements). Following the submittals, the Colorado Broadband office will begin selecting projects to fund.

Once projects are selected, the real work will begin. Communications infrastructure projects require engineering the network, getting right of way permits, purchasing supplies, and working with construction firms to install all of the components. After all of the infrastructure for the new BEAD node has been installed, the ISP will turn on the network and start connecting individual homes & businesses. Importantly, once the network is operational, the ISP will need to perform regular maintenance as well as emergency repairs during breakages.

What types of organizations will participate in BEAD projects in Colorado?

To build better broadband access in Colorado, it will take a coalition of private companies working together. These companies will include:

Broadband ISPs (Internet Service Providers) & other utility providers
Network designers and network engineering firms
Fiber optic installation companies (like Trace Fiber)
Equipment manufacturers (like Corning for fiber optic glass)
Utility locate professionals (like Colorado 811)

Additionally, many different parts of government will be involved with deploying BEAD in Colorado. Including:

Colorado Broadband Office
Local governments working with CBO for prioritization
Municipalities approving right-of-way construction permits
Local work force development organizations (such as those focused on Fiber Splicing)
Tribal organizations for relevant locations

What parts of Colorado are getting BEAD funding?

While Colorado BEAD projects have not yet been selected, the State Broadband Office has finished the designation for BEAD eligible locations. A location must be designated as Underserved or Unserved to be eligible for Colorado BEAD funding.

To determine if your location is eligible, refer to the Colorado Broadband Advanced BEAD Eligibility Map. This is the official list of which Colorado locations are eligible for BEAD projects. ISPs and other internet providers will still need to propose projects, be selected, and then build the networks. This process will likely stretch from 2025 through 2028 (or later).

When will Colorado BEAD funded projects be activated?

The first Colorado BEAD projects should be built in 2025, with constructions continuing through 2028 (or so). Throughout 2024, the Colorado Broadband Office has been working with the NTIA and local constituents on challenges, locations, and a finalized list of eligibility.

The 4th quarter of 2024 will consist of project submissions and eventually BEAD project grant approvals. This means that the first projects should move to detailed network engineering and then construction in early 2025.

How will Trace Fiber be involved in BEAD construction?

Trace Fiber Services is a turn-key, multi-industry communications services provider. As BEAD projects are approved by the CBO, Trace will begin collaboration with our customers to engineer, permit, and build BEAD fiber networks. Additionally, as networks are built, Trace will support OSP networks with emergency repair service.

If you need help with building your BEAD funded project, please contact our team to see how we can help.