Senator John Hickenlooper | Senator John Hickenlooper Official photo
Senator John Hickenlooper | Senator John Hickenlooper Official photo
WASHINGTON – On June 22, U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet welcomed the announcement by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) of a middle mile infrastructure project that will connect over 41,000 households and small businesses in Pueblo to high-speed internet through funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
“This project will connect small businesses and families to high-speed internet and propel Pueblo’s already growing economy,” said Hickenlooper. “We wrote the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law with Colorado in mind, and this project proves that.”
“Middle mile broadband infrastructure underpins networks across the state, helping connect households, farms, and small businesses to high-speed internet. This funding will work to connect 41,000 homes in Pueblo, but more support for Colorado’s middle mile infrastructure is needed. I will keep pushing to ensure Colorado receives its fair share of federal broadband funding and to connect every Coloradan with 21st century infrastructure,” said Bennet.
The $2.7 million grant will build 78,129 feet of aerial and 29,173 feet of underground fiber to provide a protected ring from the Pueblo datacenter and connect over 41,000 homes and small businesses to high-speed broadband services, including for schools, libraries, medical centers, fire departments, and government buildings.
Middle mile infrastructure projects are the backbone that connects regional and national internet networks. Middle mile infrastructure carries large amounts of data over long distances, increases capacity to local networks, boosts network resiliency, lowers the cost of bringing high-speed internet service to unconnected households, and helps connect unserved regions to the internet backbone.
The funding is made possible through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Hickenlooper was one of the 22 senators who negotiated and wrote the legislation, including serving on the working group which authored the broadband portion.
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