The city is soliciting interest from potential partners with a new RFI opportunity. Read more below.

Project Overview

Boulder wants the entire community to have access to affordable, reliable high-speed internet. In July 2026, ALLO Communications ended its agreement to build a citywide fiber network. The city is now looking at other ways to reach its broadband goals.

The city owns a completed fiber backbone – a network of cables that helps connect locations across Boulder. It supports city services and connections with community partners but it does not, by itself, connect every home or business to internet service. An internet service provider is needed to use the fiber backbone to deliver the high-speed, broadband internet services to our community.

What is happening now?

In September 2026, the city issued a new Request for Information (RFI). It asks companies how they might use the fiber backbone and what benefits they could offer the community. The RFI gathers information but does not select a provider. The city will review the responses before deciding on next steps with potential partners.

Why use the city’s fiber network?

The city is exploring how a company could use the fiber backbone as a starting point to bring more high-speed internet service to homes and businesses.

Some parts of Boulder have more internet choices than others. The city wants community members across Boulder to have reliable service and more choice in providers, prices and service quality. It’s an important city value that internet services are accessible and support enhanced community connection.

Broadband Goals

The six goals of the broadband project, detailed in the text below

  • Citywide access
  • Competitive marketplace
  • Equitable and inclusive
  • Future oriented
  • Net neutrality
  • Consumer privacy

Several internet service providers offer low-cost or free programs to low-income families and non-profits. Interested community members are encouraged to reach out to local providers to determine if they qualify.

Our broadband goals are in alignment with our city values to ensure there are no gaps in making internet services equitable and accessible.

Frequently Asked Questions

Community Broadband is the city’s vision to provide a world-class community telecommunications infrastructure to Boulder for the 21st Century and beyond. Broadband connectivity is a critical infrastructure service for quality of modern life, as is the case with roads, water, sewer and electricity. The city has built a fiber backbone and is exploring how it can help bring faster, more reliable broadband service and choice to Boulder.

A fiber backbone is the critical infrastructure needed to deliver high-quality fiber-based internet service to all members of the community. This fully city-owned asset will be deployed in a number of ways to achieve our connected city goals.

In 2018, City Council voted to fund the construction of a city-owned fiber backbone as a first step toward expanding high-speed internet access in Boulder. Today, the network supports city operations and connections with community partners like the Boulder Research and Administration Network (BRAN), Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) and Boulder County. The city is exploring how to use it to bring more service and choice to residents and businesses and how revenue from that use could help offset the investment.

The backbone itself does not connect directly to homes or businesses. An internet provider would need to build those connections and offer service.

ALLO ended its agreement with the city in July 2026, citing rising costs and a changing internet market. It will not complete the planned citywide buildout under that agreement. The city is reviewing its options and seeking information from other potential companies interested in using the fiber backbone.

The timeline for new internet service options is unavailable at this time. We will share updates as we have them.

Project Milestones

2026

ALLO ended its citywide buildout agreement. The city is working with ALLO on contractual resolution and wind-up.

The city recently issued an RFI about potential uses for the fiber backbone. RFI responses are due October 2026.

ALLO began limited construction in the Chautauqua neighborhood.

The City of Boulder released a Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking potential service providers interested in offering high-capacity broadband services to residential and commercial retail customers within the city.

Construction of the fiber optic backbone complete.

City of Boulder and ALLO Communications agree to fiber lease.

In October, Council voted 9-0 to move forward with a partnership model for the delivery of retail internet using up to half of our backbone capacity and the partner building and owning the last mile infrastructure.

Earlier in the year staff outlined three broad options to offer affordable fiber-based internet to every home and business in Boulder. They are:

  • A municipal internet utility
  • A shared-equity public-private partnership
  • A lease of city-owned backbone assets + right of way (ROW) agreement with a private partner

Given the significant cost, high risk, and long expected time-to-market of the first two options, staff recommended the city proceed with the third option. This approach, like the first two, promises to meet the goals of citywide access, equity & inclusiveness, future-oriented, net neutrality, competitive marketplace, and consumer privacy, while also minimizing cost and risk to the city and reaching customers the fastest.

Construction of the fiber backbone over 71% complete.

Construction of the fiber backbone 53% complete.

Zayo was selected as the contractor. By March construction of the fiber backbone was put on due to the City’s response to Covid-19. Construction resumed in June and was at 20% at the end of the year.

Magellan Advisors completed the fiber optic backbone design.

Additional funding for high priority network laterals in addition to dark fiber broadband backbone was approved. Fiber and Broadband Presentation to Council and April 23, 2019 Council Meeting Minutes

Council approval to issue Certificates of Participation to fund the construction. August 6, 2019 Council Meeting Minutes

Council directed staff to proceed with analysis of broadband options who later in the year presented five possible broadband models, including the option to refrain from moving forward at all. Staff presented broadband business models, costs, the relationship between broadband and municipalization, potential take rates and examples of cities that have different broadband models. Council expressed interest in proceeding with construction of a fiber backbone to begin implementing the project’s goals and preserve the city’s future options for several different broadband business models. They unanimously passed a motion to proceed with development of a fiber backbone in support of the city’s broadband goals.

Broadband Ready Community

In 2023, Colorado Broadband Office, certified the City of Boulder as a Broadband Ready Community. This recognition is awarded to Colorado communities that have proactively facilitated the deployment of broadband infrastructure, aiming to establish robust connectivity for their residents. The Colorado Broadband Office evaluates and certifies communities as being on a progressive trajectory, adequately equipped to ensure the provision of high-speed, dependable internet services.