County supports Maverix Broadband grant application
Internet service provider looking to grow opportunities in Garfield County
PRESS RELEASE
September 25, 2024
Garfield County is supporting a grant application from a Front Range broadband provider looking to bring its service to customers on the Western Slope. Maverix Broadband is seeking a federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) grant to cover costs of establishing service in Garfield County to connect homes with no internet service.
Garfield County Procurement and Contracts Director Scott Henriksen told the Board of County Commissioners that broadband consultant NEO Connect issued an invitation to negotiate to five internet service providers (ISPs) earlier this year.
“Maverix was one of those and all summer long we’ve been waiting until these providers could get to a place where they could take the next step of submitting applications for funding,” he said. “That window officially opened a week and a half ago and remains open through October. All five broadband providers were notified that they can come before the board and make a presentation of what their intentions are in Garfield County.”
Garfield County is currently in the third phase of its broadband initiative, which comprises the construction of “last mile” service that would reach roughly 4,000 non-served and underserved county citizens located outside of current service areas.
The first two phases of the project included construction of carrier neutral locations (CNLs) in Glenwood Springs, New Castle, Parachute, Silt, and Rifle, establishing access to large internet hubs in Denver and Salt Lake City. All locations are connected to the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) fiber lines under Interstate 70.
In its application, Maverix notes that reliable high-speed internet service is vital for educational opportunities, business, workforce development, social interaction, healthcare, banking, and more.
“We urge the Colorado broadband office to support Maverix to continue its excellent reputation for building a state-of-the-art internet network and connecting unserved homes with the fastest internet connection possible,” the application states.
By design, this effort directly underpins the county’s economic development opportunities by providing highly attractive broadband (fiber) infrastructure for existing businesses, new businesses, residences, and a long list of anchor institutions, such as Grand River Hospital, Colorado Mountain College, Garfield School District Re-2, etc., throughout the county. The services will be available at pricing structures that can compete with existing ISPs at unsurpassed levels, allowing our region to be more competitive in the overall marketplace at a much higher level.
To put that service level in context, this broadband infrastructure will provide internet at 100 to 1,000 times faster than our current leading ISPs in our towns and rural areas. This is gigabit service in actual fiber to the home and business.
Maverix Founder and Chief Executive Officer David Lindauer told the board that Maverix is a local Colorado company based in Parker and is one of the fastest growing ISPs in the state. He added that broadband expansion is being compared to the Rural Electrification Act of 1936, which allowed the federal government to issue low-cost loans to farmers who created nonprofit cooperatives that aimed to bring electricity to rural America.
“The government realized that there are a lot of people who don’t have access and that needs to be fixed,” Lindauer said. “This is an opportunity to do that, and Colorado is trying to reach that 99.9 percent (connectivity) mark and we’re very excited to help out.”
He said that Maverix plans to hire and train employees in Garfield County and provide long-term employment opportunities.
“We want to create as many jobs in Garfield County as we possibly can,” Lindauer said.
The letter of support was approved unanimously, 2-0, with Commissioner John Martin excused from the meeting.
“This is exciting, and we want to move forward,” said Commissioner Tom Jankovsky.