Denver Telecomm Roundtable Builds New Alliances

Colorado’s high-quality educational infrastructure and highly educated, technically literate population are helping to boost telecommunications expansion and economic development in that state — this was the conclusion of participants at CPA’s roundtable on Telecommunications and Entrepreneurship in Denver on April 30. The conference was co-sponsored by CPA, the Benton Foundation and the Office of Colorado Governor Roy Romer.
The conference brought together for the first time representatives of small businesses, educational institutions, community development groups, telecommunications service providers and federal and state government to discuss how to build on these assets to broaden public participation in Colorado’s economy and telecommuniations policy-making.
However, challenges remain in addressing the needs of technologically underserved populations in rural and urban communities. Entrepreneurial communities must be involved in finding solutions to these hurdles. Participants recommended that the state take a more active role in providing incentives for telecommunications business development and in building partnerships among various interests.
A complete conference report of discussions and recommendations will be available from CPA in early July.