Southern Colorado Economic Development District Awarded $12 Million Grant for Broadband Infrastructure

Description: SCEDD supports the economic development efforts of 13 counties in southern Colorado – Baca, Bent, Chaffee, Crowley, Custer, Fremont, Huerfano, Kiowa, Lake, Las Animas, Otero, Pueblo, and Prowers. SCEDD is a non-profit organization funded by the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration and SCEDD member counties. SCEDD has been serving the southern Colorado region since 1967.

Southern Colorado Economic Development District Awarded $12 Million Grant for Broadband Infrastructure

Pueblo, CO – Governor Polis has announced the first of multiple investments using stimulus funding from the U.S. Treasury’s Capital Projects Fund (CPF) Program; investing $113.5 million in Colorado to make significant improvements to Colorado’s broadband structure and connecting Colorado homes lacking internet access.

Southern Colorado Economic Development District (SCEDD) along with internet provider partners, SECOM and Vero, have been awarded $12,467,127.00 in funding to support projects throughout southern Colorado. Ditesco Project & Construction Services is serving as consultant and lead partner on all projects.

Projects awarded are:

• Pueblo County, awarded $2,381,572.00; this project will connect 341 locations in unincorporated areas of Pueblo County south of Avondale and on the south side of the town of Boone. The subgrantee internet service provider is SECOM, which serves homes and businesses across southeast Colorado with a mix of fiber and wireless technologies.

• Bent County and Otero County projects were awarded $8,848.689.00 and will connect 938 locations in the northern portion of unincorporated Bent County in Southeast Colorado. These projects connect underserved locations with fiber and increase network resiliency for the City of Las Animas, Cheraw, McClave and Wiley. SECOM is the subgrantee on these projects also.

• Lake County was awarded $1,236,866.00 and will serve 132 locations north of Leadville from Ski Cooper to the residential community. The subgrantee is Vero Networks, which serves homes and businesses with a mix of fiber and wireless technologies across Colorado.

These projects in the south and southwest parts of the state clearly illustrate the biggest impact from the CPF funds serving unserved and underserved locations.

Through a rigorous selection process, the Colorado Broadband Office evaluated applications and selected projects that could significantly bridge and impact Colorado’s digital divide.

In total, CPF will connect nearly 19,000 homes and businesses across Colorado.

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