If you live in Colorado or even visited for a few days and ventured beyond the larger cities, you likely have observed that once you get outside the major metros, internet access can get a bit sketchy − and sometimes very sketchy − in rural areas of the mountains and plains. Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper called attention to the issue in his State of the State address earlier this year in which he announced the creation of an office dedicated to getting high-speed internet to all of the state by 2020.
TDS Telecom put out a statement on Wednesday boasting that it’s looking to expand broadband to more than 3,000 locations in Colorado with funding from the FCC. TDS has been doing business in Colorado since 1991 and owns two telephone companies in the state.
“The FCC allocated an average of $1.6 million a year for the next 10 years to reach residents in some of the hardest to serve areas in Colorado. The funding will also be used to maintain a voice and broadband network as well as building out to these locations,” the press release reads.
Depending on location, most TDS customers in eligible rural areas will reportedly receive guaranteed broadband speeds of 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload (25/3). Under the agreement with the FCC, the remaining customers will receive broadband service at lower speeds of 10/1 and 4/1Mbps.
Last month, TDS elected to receive approximately $75.1 million a year to increase broadband access in 25 states from the FCC’s Alternative Connect America Cost Model, under the Connect America Fund (CAF) program. TDS reports it will leverage the funds over the next decade to support the buildout of rural broadband networks to nearly 160,000 locations across the country.
TDS Telecom also reported earlier this month that will expand broadband to more than 35,000 locations in Wisconsin with funding approved by the FCC. More on that is here.