Governor John Bel Edwards announces $6.2 million for broadband in Northeast Louisiana

A huge step was taken toward bringing broadband internet service to rural areas in northeast Louisiana.

Gov. John Bel Edwards was in Bastrop and Lake Providence on Monday to announce $6.2 million in grants was awarded to assist in providing broadband services in some select Northeast Louisiana parishes.

"There is not a part of our state that needs this connection more than Northeast Louisiana," Edwards said. "I am so excited that the private sector is joining hands, taking advantage of these federal dollars and they are going to put effort in expanding broadband."

At a news conference at the East Carroll Parish Library in Lake Providence Monday morning, Edwards announced that through $4 million from Conexon, a fiber optic network would be built in the parish, providing nearly 2,000 homes and businesses with broadband.

VOLT Broadband, a subsidiary of the Northeast Louisiana Power Co-Op, is currently constructing the infrastructure for broadband access in its coverage, which includes Franklin, Tensas and Madison parishes. The $2.2 million in GUMBO (Grant Unserved Municipalities Broadband Opportunities) grant money will assist in the venture in funding the infrastructure.

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The company is partnering with Conexon, an Internet service provider in Kansas City, Missouri, to bring broadband to the area. That company was awarded $33 million from President Joe Biden's American Rescue Plan Act to build a fiber broadband network for the region.

The Legislature established the Grant Unserved Municipalities Broadband Opportunities (GUMBO) grant to provide funding to internet service providers to supply broadband internet access to 400,000 people in Louisiana. The program will subsidize projects using funds from the American Rescue Plan, as well as the $2 trillion infrastructure package.

Senator Katrina Jackson (D-Monroe), State Rep. Adrian Fisher (D-Monroe), State Rep. Michael Echols (R-Monroe), State Rep. Francis Thompson (D-Delhi) and representatives from Sen. Bill Cassidy and Louisiana Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell were in attendance at Monday's groundbreaking for the broadband infrastructure in Bastrop.

"Mr. Campbell truly believes in the importance of broadband," Campbell's Chief of Staff Tutu Baker said. "This is a great day for Louisiana because this is a much needed service especially in this area. Their efforts again, are greatly appreciated by the Public Service Commission and all of those who are affected. We all are thrilled to see this project moving forward. It's going to be at a reasonable cost to every household to be able to get broadband in their homes."

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Construction for the network in Morehouse Parish began in June, NELPCO general manager Jeff Churchwell said, with 50 miles of fiber already built.

The network is expected to be operational by 2024.

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This article originally appeared on Monroe News-Star: Northeast Louisiana gets $6.2M broadband internet service expansion