Forty-four cities, towns, and counties in Colorado have passed referenda giving themselves authority to build community broadband networks.

A 10-year-old state law prevents Colorado communities from offering cable, telecommunications, or broadband services unless voters approve a referendum. Such a referendum doesn't require communities to build out a network, but it gives them the legal authority to do so.

Further Reading Colorado communities override state law limiting public broadband

On Tuesday, "[r]eferenda in 44 communities—27 cities and towns; 17 counties—all passed overwhelmingly to reclaim local telecommunications authority," according to the nonprofit Institute for Local Self-Reliance's Community Broadband Networks initiative. Approval rates ranged from 66 to 93 percent. The organization obtained results from local and state officials.

Some big cities such as Boulder voted to reclaim local authority in previous years. The latest batch of votes were concentrated "in smaller, rural communities where incumbents have little incentive to invest in network upgrades," according to Community Broadband Networks. Fort Collins, with its population of 156,480, is one exception.

"It's not that we want to compete with the private sector—it's that the private sector isn't providing the level of service the community needs," Colorado Communications and Utility Alliance General Counsel Ken Fellman told The Denver Post.

Municipalities that passed referenda this week include Alma, Bayfield, Brighton, Cedaredge, Craig, Crawford, Delta, Durango, Fairplay, Fort Collins, Fraser, Gunnison, Hayden, Hotchkiss, Ignacio, Loveland, Mt. Crested Butte, Oak Creek, Ophir, Ouray, Paonia, Ridgway, Steamboat Springs, Telluride, Thornton, Winter Park, and Yampa. Counties that did so include Archuleta, Clear Creek, Custer, Eagle, Garfield, Gilpin, Huerfano, Jackson, Lake, La Plata, Moffat, Park, Pitkin, Routt, San Juan, Summit, and Washington.

While the votes are good news for muni Internet proponents, Community Broadband Networks pointed out that the state law forces communities to "spend precious public dollars" on referenda.

Additionally, "[t]he law hurts taxpayers by discouraging private investment," Community Broadband Networks wrote. "It prevents local governments from working with private sector ISP partners who may want to use publicly owned fiber infrastructure. It stalls economic development because employers can't get the connectivity they need. It stifles growth in the small communities that need growth the most."

There are laws in about 20 states that limit municipal broadband, to the benefit of private ISPs. The Federal Communications Commission voted to preempt such laws in North Carolina and Tennessee, saying they limit competition and infrastructure investment, but the states have sued to preserve the laws.