Colorado boots big telecom, lays groundwork to bring high-speed access to all

On Tuesday, Democratic Gov. Jared Polis of Colorado signed SB23-183, a bill eliminating a 2005 law that had proven to be a telecom-driven obstacle to building municipal broadband. The bill does a couple of things but most importantly, it “enables Colorado’s local governments to provide, or partner to provide, broadband internet service without having to pass voter referendums.” While a few Republicans voted with Democratic lawmakers to pass this legislation, every single vote against it in the state’s Senate and House alike was cast by a Republican.

The 2005 law required that an election be held for every municipal telecommunications decision. This allowed big telecommunications companies to spend inordinate amounts of money to sway the vote against local broadband construction, giving them the power to keep smaller competitors out of the way and retain control over the entire consumer base by default. But in recent years, these intentional obstacles have become less effective as the need for affordable high-speed internet access grows and telecom companies have been unwilling to meet many American communities’ infrastructural needs.

The blue state of Colorado has been one of the leaders in fighting back against well-funded telecom lobbying efforts. Colorado Broadband Office Executive Director Brandy Reitter released a statement, saying: “Today, the state took a big step in establishing a competitive economy for generations to come. SB23-183 removes the biggest obstacle to achieving the Governor’s goal to connect 99% of Colorado households [to high-speed broadband] by the end of 2027.”

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