Colorado expects satellite internet for about 50,000 broadband locations

Colorado expects satellite internet to serve about 50,000 of roughly 100,000 locations eligible for its federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, the state’s interim broadband director, Terry, told lawmakers Oct. 6. Terry’s remarks put satellite service at about half of the eligible locations; the state is negotiating with Amazon and SpaceX.

That estimate is close to the technology mix in Colorado’s approved federal proposal. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s overview lists 47,652 of 96,065 eligible locations for low-Earth-orbit satellite service, 45,723 for fiber and 2,690 for fixed wireless.

Terry said federal officials had determined some locations were too costly to serve with federal funds. Colorado had tried to extend fiber as far as possible, she said, and a middle-mile network strategy could reduce the cost of connecting more locations. The state was also negotiating for subsidized equipment at satellite customers’ homes, though households would still pay for service.

Separately, 55 BEAD grant agreements had been executed, but construction had not started because grantees were completing required environmental reviews. None had cleared that step by the Oct. 6 hearing, Terry said; ground-disturbing work cannot begin before federal approval.