Unpacking Approved BEAD Volume 2s: Colorado
NTIA recently approved Colorado’s BEAD Initial Proposal Volume 2 (V2). The ACLP has compared the final version with the version that the state released for public comment last fall (the state did not make its submitted version available). A redlined version is available here. The following identifies changes made to the state’s V2 ahead of NTIA’s approval:
Subgrantee Selection Process
Scoring – Overlapping Proposals
The state included additional information about how it will address overlapping proposals. In particular, the state detailed criteria that it will use to assess the proposals and determine a winner.
Scoring – Affordability
The state has adopted the FCC’s Urban Rate Survey as the benchmark it will use for its affordability scoring. As a result, the state has increased the benchmark price for 1/1 Gbps broadband from $85/month to $118.24/month. The rate can be adjusted annually in line with the survey. Scoring for this prong still uses a sliding scale relative to the benchmark, but the state adjusted how it will allocate points.
Scoring – Fair Labor Practices
The state reduced this category from 100pts to 98pts, eliminating 2pts from the ‘workplace safety committee’ category; point allocations in other categories remain unchanged.
Scoring – Secondary Criteria
The state changed scoring for most of the Secondary Criteria. Of note is a significant increase in weight assigned to Open Access, with the max points available increasing from 4 to 14, and a similarly significant increase in points for Equitable Workforce Development (rising from 26 to 49). The state also removed two categories: Special Zones/Districts (points would have been awarded if a project was deployed in a Special Zone) and Applicant Designation (points would have been awarded to MWBEs).
Low-Cost Option
Even though the state adopted the Urban Rate Survey benchmark for use in its Affordability scoring (noted above), it elected not to adopt a similar change for the Low-Cost Option. Instead, the state will move forward with its $30/month requirement and will allow for waivers in certain cases (waiver would allow a subgrantee to increase the low-cost option to $50/month).