Our community lacks sufficient access to reliable and robust broadband service, both wired and wireless. Summit County has been working to address the issue for a number of years, with special focus on three geographic areas that have particular weakness in mobile wireless service: the Lower Blue River Valley north of Silverthorne; the Town of Montezuma; and the Summit Cove neighborhood.
Ubiquitous cellular coverage, both for broadband and voice applications, is critical for public safety. Yet AT&T Wireless has twice withdrawn its plans to provide coverage in these areas, and Summit County has been unable to attract other service providers, despite considerable effort.
Broadband Goals
Summit County has several goals related to broadband service in our community:
- Improved broadband connectivity for residents, businesses, and public safety users
- Greater digital inclusion for our population
- Increased efficiency in delivery of government services
- Governmental cost savings.
Broadband Access Report
Summit County hired CTC Technology & Energy to evaluate existing communications infrastructure, conduct outreach to the cellular carriers, evaluate potential solutions (including partnerships), and develop requests for information (RFI) to seek partners willing to engage on wireless or fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) deployment in our community.
In January 2017, CTC presented a report, "
Broadband in Summit County: Challenges and Opportunities (pdf)," which documents the findings.