StratusIQ Awarded Further DORA Broadband Grant for Expansion
January 22, 2021, Colorado Springs, CO – The largest local provider of fiber Internet service in El Paso County, StratusIQ, is proud to have been awarded a further grant by the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) Broadband Fund. The grant from the Broadband Fund will allow StratusIQ to expand into more than 300 under-serviced rural homes within Black Forest North of Falcon. These areas include a portion of Paintbrush Hills, residents in the proximity of Kenedo Circle, and areas near the crossroads of Wellwood Drive and Softwood Road. StratusIQ was awarded this grant based on a variety of factors. These factors include adherence to minimum requirements, cost-effectiveness, and the impact on the community.
Members of these communities aided in the process of applying for the grant by sending in letters with requests for a better internet provider and voicing their frustrations regarding options available to them. Due to the recent COVID realities, many of the residents had moved to working from home and participating in online school options for their children’s education.
“StratusIQ’s proposal to provide real high-speed internet in our area would finally allow many of us to efficiently work from home, provide the proper security for our property, stream courses for school without buffering and maybe even watch an online HD movie without buffering.” wrote Don Hartlaub of Falcon, CO.
“It has become more than just entertainment for most people. Having a fast, reliable internet connection is now as important as any other utility.” said Ben Kley, President of StratusIQ, “We are proud to be able to work closely with these under-serviced rural communities and help bring them our Gigabit speed fiber Internet. The construction phase can take a lot of time, but we are already delivering service to residents of Latigo Trails and Black Forest Reserve where we won grants just a year ago.”
“We couldn’t effectively work from home before we got StratusIQ in Latigo Trails.” said David Wright, owner of A Plus Mortgage, “My business requires high upload speeds and strong security. My wife also works from home, so that increased our need for dependable Internet. We have been very impressed with StratusIQ. They got us connected earlier than expected and it’s been great ever since.”
About the DORA Broadband Fund
The DORA Broadband Fund exists to connect communities and fuel economic growth in unserved areas across Colorado. The Broadband Deployment Board provides grants through the Broadband Fund to deploy broadband service in unserved areas of the state. Since 2016, the Board has awarded almost $41 million in grants to 51 projects. As a result, over 25,500 rural households across Colorado will benefit from Broadband Internet access.
More information about the DORA Broadband Fund can be found online at www.broadbandfund.colorado.gov
About StratusIQ
Along with local customer service, StratusIQ focuses on value, quality, and reliability with its fiber network. StratusIQ provides Internet service, digital telephone, and full-featured TV service over a Fiber-to-the-Home infrastructure. They been an Internet Service Provider in El Paso County for over 16 years and were the first to provide Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) technology in 2007. They serve a wide range of customers including large and small businesses, five-star resorts, and public and private education campuses, in addition to many residential developments. StratusIQ is a “Connectivity Leader” in Colorado schools and a top-five school Internet provider in the state based on speed and number of students served according to EducationSuperHighway.org.
More information about StratusIQ services can be found online at www.StratusIQ.com