Estes Park studying municipal broadband options

ESTES PARK — Town staffers are studying a plan for high-speed municipal broadband service that an economic-development official called “a potential game-changer for southwest Larimer County.”

The proposal for 1-gigabit Internet for homes and businesses in the Estes Valley and beyond was presented by Glenwood Springs-based NEO Fiber Consulting at a July 28 Town Board of Trustees study session. Of five options presented by NEO, a municipal broadband service being run as a utility was considered the best choice.

“Now it’s up to us to thoroughly research the feasibility of the town establishing a broadband service utility, considering our financial and operational…