Rio Blanco officials say BEAD grant application was not selected; staff to present plan to use ARPA funds for broadband upgrades

Rio Blanco County staff told the Board of County Commissioners on Jan. 20 that the county’s application to Colorado’s BEAD (Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment) grant program was not selected in round 1, and recommended reallocating grant-match funds already on hand to improve the county’s existing broadband network.

County broadband manager Erica (last name not specified), appearing by video, said the Colorado Broadband Office notified the county on Jan. 19 that Rio Blanco was “not selected for round 1 funding.” She said the office had not told applicants that there would be more than one round, and that the state received far more applications than available dollars. “They received over $2,000,000,000 in applications” for roughly $826 million the state was administering, Erica said. She added the BEAD application process required performance bonds and a 25% match, requirements she described as burdensome for a government applicant.

Why it matters: County broadband staff said the technical and financial obligations in the…