In November, Louisiana unveiled two major initiatives to bring high-speed internet to thousands of disenfranchised communities across Louisiana.
The Louisiana Local Fiber Consortium (LLFC), a coalition of Swyft Fiber, REV and T-Mobile, was awarded nearly $450 million in BEAD funding to expand fiber networks across the state. The investment represents the largest broadband expansion in Louisiana’s history, aimed at connecting rural and underserved areas through resilient, underground fiber infrastructure.
The project will enhance internet reliability and speed for homes, businesses and emergency services, contributing to broader national efforts, including the $65 billion allocated for broadband access in President Joe Biden’s 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal.
Simultaneously, AT&T announced it will receive $55 million in BEAD funding through the state’s GUMBO 2.0 program, a public-private partnership aimed at expanding fiber internet to more than 20,000 homes and businesses. In addition to the state’s investment, AT&T is committing over $150 million of its own funds to the project, which is part of its ongoing efforts to close the digital divide. The initiative is expected to be completed over the next four years.
David Aubrey, president of AT&T Louisiana, expressed confidence in the partnership.
“This first-of-its-kind BEAD award is a testament to what we can achieve when the public and private sectors work together to bridge the digital divide,” he said. “We’re excited to bring the benefits of AT&T Fiber to Louisiana’s communities and continue our commitment to connecting more Americans to reliable, high-speed internet.”
Gov. Jeff Landry has praised the announcements, highlighting the transformative impact the broadband expansion will have on Louisiana’s economy, education and healthcare.
“Expanding access to broadband is essential for economic growth, better educational opportunities and improved healthcare access,” Landry said in a press release.
Dr. Jacquelyne T. Howard, associate director of student engagement at the Connolly Alexander Institute for Data Science, highlighted the significant societal impact of Louisiana’s broadband initiatives.
“High-speed internet is an essential service and can directly lead to a better quality of life and pathways to more information and data relating to education, healthcare, social services and work,” she noted. “For example, high-speed internet in homes may help people, especially women living in rural and underserved communities in Louisiana, obtain access to medical consultations via telehealth services, which can lead to more access to privacy and health information for some users.”
While infrastructure investments like those Landry and Howard referenced are crucial, Jake Varn, associate manager of Pew Charitable Trusts’ broadband access initiative, stressed the importance of affordability.
“Broadband access is only useful if you can afford the connection,” Varn noted. “BEAD alone cannot solve broadband affordability for everyone, but Louisiana’s approach to BEAD’s low-cost option is making significant progress. By ensuring that the networks being built in underserved parishes offer reasonably priced plans for low-income customers, Louisiana is striking a balance between affordability and market realities, allowing providers to sustain operations over the long term.”
Louisiana plans to allocate over $500 million in BEAD funding to non-deployment programs, including expanding telehealth and digital education initiatives. The efforts are designed to ensure residents can fully leverage the benefits of high-speed internet access.
However, Varn cautioned that there is still more work to be done.
“Whether an internet subscription is affordable varies for each household,” he said. “For some, even the low-cost option will still be too expensive, especially with the loss of subsidies from the federal Affordable Connectivity Program. Louisiana’s low-cost option is a win for underserved communities, but more must be done to make broadband access truly affordable for all.”
Veronika Lee Claghorn is the associate news editor of BizNewOrleans.com. She may be reached via email at Veronika@BizNewOrleans.com.
