Colorado is eligible for a $2.4-million federal grant to upgrade its statewide 911 network.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration on Feb. 1 declared Colorado eligible for the funding, according to a Department of Regulatory Agencies news release.
With an additional $1 million in matching funds approved by the Colorado Public Utilities Commission, the state’s 911 call centers will be able to fund an 18-month transition to an IP-based core infrastructure, the release said, broadening network capabilities and making it more reliable.
“This grant, along with the contribution from the Colorado PUC, will be a game changer for Next Generation 911 in Colorado,” said Carl Stephens, executive director of the Garfield County Emergency Communications Authority, in the release. “It will provide a way for local 911 authorities to get onto a statewide ESInet that some could not afford to do otherwise. While there will still be much to do and finance, this is one mountainous obstacle out of our way.”
