Colorado, Minnesota Unveil Rural Broadband Grants

households, 2,240 businesses and 71 community institutions in greater Minnesota, it said. The state funding is expected to bring in an extra $40 million in private and local funding, DEED said. “It’s not fair when almost 20 percent of Greater Minnesota households don’t have access to opportunity because they don’t have the same broadband connections as their friends and family in the cities,” said Lt. Gov. Tina Smith (D). “We are fixing this: since we started, $66 million in public investment has been matched by over $81.7 million in private funding.” Some of the largest grants were: $4.94 million for Consolidated Telecom, $3 million for TDS Telecom, $2.7 million for two Frontier Communications projects and $2.39 million for two CenturyLink projects. Tuesday, the Colorado Broadband Deployment Board awarded $2.1 million in broadband grants for eight rural infrastructure projects, the board said in a Tuesday news release. The projects, which will be completed over two years, cover about 4,700 households and 175 businesses in Eagle, Cheyenne, Kiowa, Lake, Mesa, Montrose, Ouray, Prowers, Sedgwick and Weld counties, it said. “Broadband access is a critical service for Colorado communities, especially in supporting economic development," said Gov. John Hickenlooper (D). “These grants will bring more than broadband services to many unserved communities; they will also grow opportunity for their local businesses and residents.” CenturyLink won more than half of the Colorado grants, getting $1.14 million for two projects. The board also awarded grants to Nucla-Naturita Telephone, Viaero Wireless, Colorado Central Telecom, PC Telcom, Optimus Communications and Futurum Communications.