Given the Hickenlooper administration’s desire to boost the economy, it should heed one of the constant messages that popped up during its “ground-up” economic development planning process: Colorado needs better broadband access.
Out of 50 states, Colorado ranks 42nd in broadband connectivity, with service costing 10 times more than in neighboring states, according to a study conducted last year.
Connectivity is one of the 21st century’s keys to economic and educational success, especially as more commerce quickly moves to the Internet. But expanding broadband is a pricey proposition.
Many areas on the plains and in the mountains don’t have access to high-speed Internet service. And just as good roads and transportation systems are a key driver for the economy, high quality Internet access opens up new markets for businesses of all sizes.
The Hickenlooper administration launched its “ground-up” plan in order to get counties talking to each other and to create a state blueprint for the next year or two, according to Dwayne Romero, executive director of the state Office of Economic Development and International Trade.
All 64 counties were grouped into 14 regions, and each region identified its unique challenges and opportunities. The findings weren’t completely unexpected. The mountain communities want to boost tourism and try to lure a Winter Olympics to the state. El Paso County and its neighbors want to fortify the military presence in the area, while the Eastern Plains wants to bolster wind energy and transmission lines.
But two issues seem to transcend those regional borders: broadband access and regulatory reform.
Cutting bureaucratic red tape might be easier for the Hickenlooper administration than investing millions of dollars the state doesn’t have to expand broadband access. However, the good news is that Colorado last year won a $100 million federal grant specifically designed to expand broadband capabilities to the state’s rural communities.
The federal grant is paying for new or enhanced fiber optic lines that eventually will connect 1,700 schools, more than a dozen community colleges, 26 libraries and three higher education institutions. Getting the lines to those institutions is critical because it then gives private interests the opportunity to lay what is frequently called the “final mile” to connect individual homes and businesses to high speed Internet.
A good business climate needs good schools and modern infrastructure, as an economics professor recently pointed out. And budget cuts have forced the state to cut education and infrastructure spending.
However, a good ground-up game plan is needed to spark this moribund economy, and we hope this one doesn’t just gather dust as others have done in previous years.
