The Broadband Advisory Board, which Gov. Jared Polis created by executive order on Oct. 30, will hold its first meeting on Thursday.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the transition to online services,” Polis wrote in the order. “We now rely on the internet to shop, see our doctors and other healthcare providers, educate our children, and maintain relationships with family and friends.”

Among the advisory board’s tasks, it will discuss demand planning, provide feedback on broadband legislation and policy, and centralize broadband information from multiple agencies into a single website.

The public may register online to join the meeting, which begins at 10 a.m. The agenda includes the election of a chair and vice chair, approval of bylaws and public comment.

A report from the Governor’s Office of Information Technology released in October found a reduction in the rate of broadband expansion in the state. “The current data shows that our progress is slowing, with an increase of 1.4% of rural households served in the past year, compared to an increase of 8.6% the previous year,” the office wrote.

Earlier this week, the General Assembly in an extraordinary session approved $20 million in funding to expand wireless and broadband Internet for school children as part of a COVID-19 relief package.