Colo. Legislators Propose Ending 2015 Muni Broadband Ban

Colorado would remove a state ban on municipal broadband under a bill introduced Thursday. The 2015 state restriction known as SB-152 allows counties and municipalities to opt out of the ban through ballot initiative. Although many have done just that (see 2211100049), Colorado Broadband Office Executive Director told the NATOA conference last year that legislators would in 2023 seek to end the ban (see 2208300036). Under this year’s SB-183, sponsored by a bipartisan group of state senators and representatives, local governments no longer would need to “hold an election before providing or before operating a facility to provide cable television, telecommunications, or broadband internet services to subscribers,” or to enter a public-private partnership for that purpose, a summary said. Also, SB-183 would specify that a locality may provide middle-mile infrastructure.