September 26, 2024 - Denver, Colorado – The Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC) voted to approve funding for a series of vital improvements to Colorado’s 9-1-1 network aimed at enhancing reliability and reducing the risk of outages. The Commission voted to approve a 3-cent increase to the state 9-1-1 surcharge, effective Jan. 1, 2025. The approved projects, totaling an estimated $4.6 million, include:
- Building alternative fiber routes between network points
- Upgrading existing architecture for 9-1-1 call rerouting
- Providing backup power for critical 9-1-1 infrastructure
- Replacing outdated network components Increasing local network redundancy to dozens of 9-1-1 centers
These upgrades are the culmination of over a decade of effort by the Commission to improve the 9-1-1 network's resilience, following extensive outages caused by natural disasters in 2012. The Commission has worked diligently with stakeholders to develop solutions, resulting in the implementation of new 9-1-1 rules in 2023 that established a process for proposing, approving, and funding improvement projects through the state 9-1-1 surcharge, which is applied to all telephone bills in the state.
"This decision marks a significant milestone in the PUC’s ongoing commitment to protect Coloradans by ensuring a reliable, resilient statewide 9-1-1 network," said PUC Commissioner Megan Gilman. "The PUC is committed to protecting consumers’ rights, pocketbooks and lives. These improvements will help safeguard access to emergency services, particularly during critical incidents across the state."
The Commission will continue to evaluate and implement network improvements every two years to further strengthen the 9-1-1 system and minimize the impact of potential outages. The Commission’s decisions regarding the improvement plan can be found in the Proceeding No. 23AL-0197T; for decisions regarding the annual surcharge and rate increases may be found in Proceeding No. 24M-0329T. Commission decisions capture the full context of a proceeding and may be accessed electronically via the e-filing system.