Colorado’s newly formed Cell Phone Connectivity Interim Study Committee has crafted recommendations for legislation to enhance cell phone connectivity, with a particular focus on the state’s rural areas and underserved communities.

Four initial bill draft requests were made during a bipartisan committee meeting in August. While the details of each bill still need to be worked out, lawmakers agreed on broad titles to get the drafting process underway for the 2025 session.

The first bill, introduced by Sen. Dylan Roberts, D-Frisco, would formalize the role of state agencies in advancing cellular connectivity.

A second bill would create incentives for cellular providers, such as property tax exemptions and reductions, and a grant fund for unserved or underserved areas of the state.

Lawmakers would also like bills to improve and streamline the cell phone tower permitting process and address intentional damage to the state’s cellular infrastructure.

Gaps in the state’s cellular connectivity became apparent during the pandemic when many residents shifted to remote working and learning.

The committee, chaired by Rep. Meghan Lukens, D-Steamboat, held its first meeting in July. Its areas of study include major roadways, mountain passes and popular trailheads, rural and historically disadvantaged communities, examining whether maps provided by cell phone companies accurately describe coverage areas and determining how existing state tools and resources may be leveraged to improve connectivity throughout the state.

On Tuesday, committee members toured Hanging Lakes in Glenwood Canyon, a popular site for tourists and locals alike, Macro Cell Tower in Vail, Vail Public Safety Communications and the Eisenhower Tunnel. The tour showcased the large-scale operations, infrastructure, and emergency response networks needed in rural Colorado for fast, reliable cell phone service.

“We know with better cell phone service, Coloradans can have peace of mind when traveling through the mountains,” Lukens said. “Today’s tour allowed us to not only engage with experts about some of the challenges of cell phone connectivity in rural Colorado but to learn more about what it takes to make cell phone coverage reliable in remote areas.”

Sept. 10 is the deadline to finalize bill drafts for fiscal note preparation.

The committee is permitted to introduce up to three bills in the coming legislative session. It will meet Oct. 1 to take action on the final drafts.

The 12-member committee consists of six voting members from the General Assembly and six non-voting members.

Voting members include Lukens; Jennifer Bacon, D-Denver; Matt Soper, R-Delta; and Sens. Nick Hinrichsen, D-Pueblo; Rod Pelton, R-Cheyenne Wells; and Dylan Roberts, D-Frisco.

The six non-voting members provide industry insight on connectivity and represent the Department of Public Safety, the Department of Transportation, and companies with a presence in the Western Slope, Eastern Plains and the Denver metro area.