Louisiana is the first state in the country to be approved for almost $1.36 billion in federal funding to expand broadband internet access across the state. Veneeth Iyengar, the executive director of ConnectLA, says it will allow the state to provide everyone in the state with reliable, cost-effective high-speed internet.
“There’s still 130,000 households and small businesses and community anchor institutions. These are locations that are most rural, most difficult to get to historically,” Iyengar said.
Iyengar says the federal funding is a major milestone for the state’s GUMBO 2.0 program.
“Now we’ll have the federal funds to incentivize internet service providers to once and for all, finish the job, and connect these folks with internet within the next 24 months,” Iyengar said.
The announcement by the federal government comes on the heels of ConnectLA completing a major broadband expansion project in Vernon Parish. Iyengar says despite the scope of that project, it still left out 3,000 locations in the parish, and this federal funding will allow it to finish the job.
“Those individuals and those households and those small businesses will get connectivity within the next 24 months as a result of yesterday’s $1.36 billion announcement,” Iyengar said.
