Colorado releases state broadband portal
Colorado unveiled a new online portal that lets Colorado citizens check the status of broadband in their area.
The portal, which soft launched in mid-November and was officially announced Wednesday, offers “tools and resources that will allow Coloradans to improve their broadband experience,” according to a release from the Governor’s Office of Information Technology.
“The new state broadband portal provides a one-stop shop for people who are involved in expanding broadband throughout the state,” OIT Broadband Program Director Brian Shepherd said in the release.
Included in the portal is an interactive map that shows what broadband services are available across the state, and lets the user filter results based on service speed and the type of technology the broadband infrastructure uses. The visual map also allows users to enter their address to see all broadband providers available in their area.
In addition to the visual display, the portal lets users check their current broadband speed, and includes a resource library of broadband events, education resources and news related to broadband policies and deployment.
Colorado Chief Information Officer Suma Nallapati told StateScoop in an email statement that the portal helps the state to better engage with citizens and provide information about available technology.
“Our goal at OIT is to make this kind of technology easy to use for our citizens,” Nallapati said. “What I love is how easy this site is to navigate. People who are interested in testing their broadband speed can do it right on the portal.”
Earlier this year, the National Association of State Chief Information Officers recognized the OIT team for their work on cybersecurity, through the Secure Colorado program, and their universal application for Colorado’s health insurance enrollment — Program Eligibility and Application Kit. The PEAK RTE program also won a StateScoop 50 award in April.
