News Archive

Date	Title	Category	Summary
2023 09 12September 12, 2023	Louisiana is Depending on the ACP to Eliminate the Digital Divide	In The News	Affordability is a key barrier to broadband adoption, especially for low-income households. Some 15 percent of home broadband users in the United States said they had trouble paying for their high-speed internet service during the COVID-19 pandemic. That includes 34 percent of those with household incomes of less than $30,000 a year. In Louisiana, households with low incomes are far less likely to subscribe to broadband service (59.5%) than the average American household in the same income bracket (67.5%).
2023 09 07September 07, 2023	Comcast Expanding Broadband Network in Bossier City, Louisiana	In The News	Comcast is working to connect about 3,500 underserved homes in Bossier City, La., by the end of the year. The expansion will provide families access to high-speed, reliable Internet as well as the full suite of Xfinity services, and follows Comcast’s initial entry into the market in January.
2023 09 07September 07, 2023	GUMBO grant helps unserved area get broadband for the first time	Blogs	Some Louisiana communities have never had high-speed, affordable internet access, but thanks to REV Business and the GUMBO grant program, these areas are finally getting connected. The Eroche family hasn't had access to internet or cable since building their Thibodaux home in 1996. Although internet was available about 1,000 feet north and a mile south, the family lived in an unserved gap.
2023 09 02September 02, 2023	Livingston Parish Library patrons can check out iPads	In The News	As part of its mission to fulfill the community’s informational, educational, recreational, and cultural needs, the Livingston Parish Library is proud to announce the availability of iPads for checkout. This pilot is led by the Louisiana Board of Regents and LOUIS: the Louisiana Library Network in partnership with Connect LA and the State Library of Louisiana.
2023 08 28August 28, 2023	High-speed broadband internet installed throughout Lafourche Parish	In The News	Governor John Bel Edwards is in Thibodaux on Monday, Aug. 28, cutting the ribbon on the newly completed project bringing high-speed internet to Lafourche. The project is called the Lafourche Crossing project. It’s part of the GUMBO project, which stands for “Granting Unserved Municipalities Broadband Opportunities”
2023 08 28August 28, 2023	Gov. Edwards, White House and Local Officials Celebrate Project to Bring High-Speed Internet to Lafourche Crossing	In The News	Today, Gov. John Bel Edwards joined members of the Biden-Harris administration along with members of Louisiana’s Congressional delegation, local officials, state lawmakers and other stakeholders to announce the completion of the Lafourche Crossing GUMBO project that will help further close the digital divide across Louisiana.
2023 08 26August 26, 2023	Broadband subsidy program that millions use will expire next year if Congress doesn’t act	In The News	One of the features that President Joe Biden cited in his plan to bring internet to every home and business in the United States by 2030 was affordability. But an important federal program established to keep broadband costs down for low-income households is set to expire next year.
2023 08 25August 25, 2023	Virginia and Louisiana Each Release BEAD Implementation Plans, Volume Two	In The News	Virginia became the first state to release volume two of its Broadband Equity Access and Deployment program for public comment last week, followed closely by Louisiana on Friday.
2023 08 24August 24, 2023	State Broadband Leaders Ask for Provider Cooperation on BEAD	In The News	State broadband leaders on a Fiber Connect panel urged providers to engage with state offices as much as possible during the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program process.
2023 08 23August 23, 2023	Texas, Louisiana and New Mexico laying groundwork for greater internet connectivity	In The News	While the digital divide is wide in poor and more isolated areas of Texas, Louisiana and New Mexico, concerted efforts are taking shape across the region to close it. There are ongoing public efforts to improve digital inclusion, including the Affordable Connectivity Program and the Digital Navigator Program specific to Louisiana.
2023 08 22August 22, 2023	Fiber Connect 2023	Events	Thomas Tyler attended Fiber Broadband Association's Fiber Connect 2023 where he spoke on a panel titled The Five-Year Plan: A Conversation with State Broadband Officers on What Comes Next. Aug. 22-23, 2023 Orlando, Fla.
2023 08 21August 21, 2023	2023 Broadband Montana Annual Meeting	Events	Broadband Montana's annual meeting is a conference attended by more than 100 executives from Montana's telecom industry. Veneeth Iyengar was a keynote speaker to provide an update on Louisiana's broadband efforts. Aug. 21-23, 2023 Whitefish, Mont.
2023 08 21August 21, 2023	Tech Policy Institute's Aspen Forum	Events	Government, industry, and academic leaders gather at the Aspen Forum every August to discuss plans for the coming year. Deputy Director, Thomas Tyler spoke on the future of broadband in Louisiana and BEAD allocation procedures. Aug. 21-22, 2023 Aspen, Colo.
2023 08 21August 21, 2023	2023 Telecommunications Management Conference	Events	Thomas Tyler spoke on a panel at the Telecommunications Management Conference, held by Moss Adams, where he discussed broadband grants alongside other national broadband leaders. Aug. 21-23, 2023 Salt Lake City, Utah
2023 08 15August 15, 2023	2023 Pipeline Safety and LA Oil & Gas Regulatory Conference	Events	The Louisiana Gas Association hosted the 2023 Pipeline Safety Conference to meet with industry officials about safety in the operation of oil and gas pipelines. Veneeth Iyengar updated state gas operators on how the state is addressing broadband construction concerns when it comes to safe building. Aug. 15, 2023 New Orleans, La.
2023 08 11August 11, 2023	This bill might give small businesses a broadband boost	In The News	Louisiana’s U.S. Sen. John Kennedy and New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen this week authored a bill to improve access to high-speed internet in rural areas nationwide through the Small Business Administration.
2023 08 11August 11, 2023	Kennedy, Shaheen introduce bill to improve broadband for small businesses	In The News	Sens. John Kennedy (R-La.) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) introduced the bipartisan Small Business Broadband and Emerging Information Technology Enhancement Act to address the lack of broadband internet and other emerging information technology resources in rural areas by improving Small Business Administration (SBA) programs.
2023 08 09August 09, 2023	Minority universities receive funding to bring broadband to surrounding areas	Blogs	On and off campus, university students need access to fast and reliable broadband. The National Telecommunication and Information Administration awarded $175 million in grants to 93 minority serving institutions as part of its Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program in February. The program is part of NTIA's Internet For All campaign.
2023 08 09August 09, 2023	Statewide grant funds free telehealth resources for Cameron library	In The News	Libraries across Louisiana—including in Cameron Parish—will soon start offering access to free telehealth services as part of $50,000 worth of grants from The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation through the State Library of Louisiana.
2023 08 08August 08, 2023	Library systems in Vermilion, Cameron parishes to offer telehealth services	In The News	Thanks to $50,000 in grants from The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation through the State Library of Louisiana, eleven library systems across the state will soon provide patrons with much-needed access to telehealth services, officials announce.
2023 08 08August 08, 2023	State Leaders Set Sights on Long-term Digital Equity Planning	In The News	State broadband leaders are focused on forging lasting relationships with stakeholders that will continue to engage in digital equity initiatives post BEAD, said state leaders at a Mountain Connect panel. For Louisiana , the primary concern is improving the lives of the residents through better connectivity, said Thomas Tyler, deputy director for Broadband and Connectivity in the state.
2023 08 07August 07, 2023	Some Louisiana Libraries to offer telehealth services	In The News	Eleven library systems in Louisiana will soon offer patrons access to telehealth services following a $50,000 grant from The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation through the State Library of Louisiana. In 2022, ConnectLA worked with the Blue Cross Foundation to recognize that increasing telehealth adoption in the state required better access.
2023 08 07August 07, 2023	Louisiana libraries offer patrons access to quality healthcare	In The News	Several Louisiana libraries will soon offer access to telehealth services following a $50,000 grant from the Blue Cross and Blue Shielf Foundation. The grants will pay for medical equipment such as fingertip pulse oximeters, portable EKG monitors, laptops and tablets, and private booths in libraries where patrons can meet virtually with their doctors.
2023 08 07August 07, 2023	Statewide grant funds free telehealth resources for five NELA library systems	In The News	Libraries across Louisiana will soon start offering access to free telehealth services as part of $50,000 worth of grants from The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation through the State Library of Louisiana. In 2022, ConnectLA worked with the Blue Cross Foundation to address the need for better access to telehealth services as they became more widely adopted in the state.
2023 08 07August 07, 2023	Mountain Connect 2023	Events	Mountain Connect Broadband Development Conference brings together telecommunications industrywide thought leaders, state and federal governmental entities and emerging technology companies. Deputy Director, Thomas Tyler, spoke on a panel of state broadband leads discussing BEAD allocations and proposals. Aug. 7-9, 2023 Denver, Colo.
2023 08 02August 02, 2023	ConnectLA encourages ACP reauthorization	Newsletters	ConnectLA wrote a sign-on letter encouraging Louisiana's federal delegation to vote to reauthorize the Federal Communication Commission's Affordable Connectivity Program before its funding expires in the summer of 2024. The letter received 47 signatures from organizations throughout the state.
2023 07 31July 31, 2023	Broadband Leaders Summit 2.0	Events	BLS 2.0 is an invitation-only summit focused on how states will implement the BEAD program. Veneeth Iyengar was a panelist with four other state broadband directors to discuss Louisiana's leadership efforts with all things broadband. July 31-Aug. 2, 2023 Lake Tahoe, Nev.
2023 07 25July 25, 2023	La. state leaders announce major investment in broadband internet expansion, digital literacy program	In The News	Louisiana state leaders announced a $130 million investment from the America Rescue Plan to bring more affordable and accessible internet to more than 66,000 households and small businesses through Internet Service Providers in 50 parishes.
2023 07 22July 22, 2023	Louisiana is trying to get every home reliable internet. Here are some of the obstacles.	In The News	Louisiana is in the middle of a five-year campaign of more than a billion dollars to get every home access to reliable, high-speed internet — but several state lawmakers say some companies are putting roadblocks in the way. “There are significant gaps when it comes to mobility and coverage in Louisiana,” said Veneeth Iyengar, executive director of ConnectLA, the state’s broadband office.
2023 07 20July 20, 2023	Digital literacy program enables Louisiana residents to use technology efficiently	Blogs	In today’s digital age, the ability to navigate the world through technology is more important than ever. Northstar Digital Literacy is addressing the digital skills divide by helping adults learn how to communicate, find employment and stay informed about the world around them.
2023 07 13July 13, 2023	Summer 2023 Newsletter	Newsletters	The last two weeks have been massive for our office. Louisiana received more than $1.3 billion from the federal government for broadband, we published our Five-Year Action Plan and we broke ground on the largest GUMBO-funded project to date. Read about all of that and more in this summer's newsletter.
2023 07 12July 12, 2023	Cassidy touts ‘infrastructure wins’ for Louisiana	In The News	Work is being done to put high-speed, affordable broadband in every Louisiana home, according to U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy. Cassidy said Tuesday the move the “latest in a long-string in infrastructure wins.” The biggest of these? Statewide access to broadband internet.
2023 07 12July 12, 2023	Louisiana pushes for broadband affordability grant to be made permanent	In The News	With over a billion dollars flowing into the state to expand broadband to rural areas, state officials are trying to get the word out about how some families can get money taken off their monthly bill. They also are making a push to Congress to make the grant program permanent. Over 900,000 Louisiana households qualify for the Affordable Connectivity Program.
2023 07 10July 10, 2023	Editorial: Louisiana Day at the White House in celebration of internet expansion	In The News	The folks in rural St. Landry Parish made a big impression on the vice president of the United States. But that was because the town of Sunset has been somewhat left behind as the world increasingly revolves around internet connections for work, school and health care access.
2023 07 06July 06, 2023	9,000 houses, 535 businesses: Huge Louisiana high-speed internet project gets underway	In The News	Louisiana's effort to expand broadband access in rural areas advanced on Thursday with the groundbreaking of the state's biggest high-speed internet project yet. The project will bring cable internet to 9,140 households and 535 small businesses in Avoyelles Parish, according to Gov. John Bel Edwards' office — the largest investment to date under the state's GUMBO program.
2023 07 06July 06, 2023	Louisiana’s largest GUMBO grant project underway in Avoyelles Parish	In The News	A $13.9 million broadband expansion project will soon be underway in Avoyelles Parish, as officials broke ground on the effort Thursday, July 6. The project is one of hundreds in the state rolling out due to Louisiana’s GUMBO Grant Program, a statewide effort to connect all of Louisiana to reliable, high-speed internet.
2023 07 06July 06, 2023	Power Cooperative Provides New Internet Opportunities for Members	Blogs	In 2022, Jeff Churchwell made history. As the general manager of Winnsboro-based Northeast Louisiana Power Cooperative, Churchwell led the initiative to become the first Louisiana electric cooperative to provide broadband for its members.
2023 07 03July 03, 2023	Louisiana Investing In High Speed Internet	In The News	Veneeth Iyengar joins Tommy to talk about Louisiana getting 1.3 billion dollars from the government to invest in high-speed internet.
2023 06 28June 28, 2023	Veneeth Iyengar talks the $1.36 billion Coming to Louisiana to Expand Broadband	In The News	ConnectLA Executive Director Veneeth Iyengar speaks with Brian Haldane about the recent $1.36 billion allocation given to Louisiana to expand broadband access throughout the state.
2023 06 28June 28, 2023	Ask the Governor June 28	In The News	In this excerpt from Jim Engster's Ask the Governor podcast, Veneeth Iyengar speaks about the $1.36 billion federal investment into Louisiana's broadband infrastructure. The full episode can be found at jimengster.com.
2023 06 28June 28, 2023	What's new in Jefferson Parish	In The News	This snippet from the Newell Normand Show podcast features Michael Hecht, president and CEO of GNO Inc., who speaks about the benefits of increasing broadband access with the help of a $1.36 billion investment from the federal government.
2023 06 27June 27, 2023	Louisiana to get $1.3 billion to expand broadband	In The News	The White House announced that Louisiana will be getting over $1.3 billion to expand broadband to everyone. In the state, it is estimated that 25% of households do not have access to reliable and affordable internet.
2023 06 27June 27, 2023	La. awarded nearly $1.4 billion for expansion of broadband services	In The News	President Joseph R. Biden announced Monday that the administration awarded Louisiana nearly $1.4 billion to improve broadband services. In a news release from the office of the Governor John Bel Edwards, ConnectLA calls the allocation a historic federal investment. It’s the eighth largest investment in the country.
2023 06 27June 27, 2023	Biden’s broadband plan aims to connect every home and business in U.S. by 2030. What’s next?	In The News	President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday announced plans to distribute $42.5 billion nationwide to provide reliable and affordable internet service for every home and business in the U.S. by 2030.
2023 06 27June 27, 2023	LA receives $1.36 billion to expand high-speed reliable internet service for residents and businesses by 2029	In The News	The federal government has awarded Louisiana 1.36 billion dollars for the expansion of affordable, reliable high-speed internet service for businesses and residents. Connect LA Executive Director Veneeth Iyengar says these funds represent the eighth-largest allocation in the country
2023 06 27June 27, 2023	More than $42B in fed funds announced for internet; La. gets $1.3B	In The News	"Today's allocation announcement represents a historic federal investment. When combined with other federal funds from the US Treasury, FCC and NTIA, this will represent more than $1.87 billion in investment in Louisiana over the next 5 years,” said Veneeth Iyengar, executive director of ConnectLA.
2023 06 27June 27, 2023	Louisiana to get $1.3 billion to expand broadband	In The News	The White House announced that Louisiana will be getting over $1.3 billion to expand broadband to everyone. In the state, it is estimated that 25% of households do not have access to reliable and affordable internet.
2023 06 26June 26, 2023	Cassidy Announces $1.4 Billion for Louisiana in Broadband Funding from His Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act	In The News	U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) announced Louisiana will receive $1,355,554,552.94 in broadband funding from his Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The funding comes from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program.
2023 06 26June 26, 2023	The Divide: ConnectLA's Veneeth Iyengar on Louisiana's BEAD and digital equity plans	In The News	This episode of "The Divide" features Veneeth Iyengar, executive director for the state of Louisiana's broadband office, ConnectLA. He looks at the progress the state has made toward closing the digital divide and discusses the various pools of federal funding providers are using to build their networks.
2023 06 26June 26, 2023	More than $42 billion in fed funds announced for internet; La. gets $1.3 Billion	In The News	The Biden Administration announced the allocation of more than $42 billion to internet access across the country. Of that amount, Louisiana is slated to receive more than $1.3 billion.
2023 06 26June 26, 2023	Louisiana to get $1.3B for high-speed internet, White House announces	In The News	Like many small towns in America, Sunset, near Lafayette, has a Main Street, a bank and a church, Harris said during a ceremony in the White House's East Room to announce the broadband effort. What many residents don't have, however, is access to reliable internet. Roughly 40% of the town's 3,000 residents lack such a connection.
2023 06 22June 22, 2023	Rural Fire Department Demonstrates Importance of High-Speed Internet	Blogs	For Brian Williams, the battle to gain broadband access for the volunteer fire department in Dixie Inn has been a difficult one. Williams, the former fire chief of Fire District 7 in Dixie Inn and director of the Webster Parish Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness, began working in fire service nearly 23 years ago.
2023 06 22June 22, 2023	Expanding The Broadband Workforce: How Three States Are Preparing For Equitable Broadband Deployment	In The News	The federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) is providing states with unprecedented amounts of funding to deploy broadband infrastructure, improve affordability and ensure meaningful adoption in communities. Governors are also making record investments in high-speed internet to grow state economies and empower people to fully participate in our digital society.
2023 05 25May 25, 2023	Caddo vocational program offers inmates a second chance	Blogs	Rick Bateman believes in second chances. The chancellor for Bossier Parish Community College holds a personal interest in expanding opportunities for incarcerated people through vocational programs at correctional facilities. Recognizing the opportunity and need for a fiber optics workforce in Louisiana, Bateman proposed a new fiber optics vocational program for the Caddo Correctional Center...
2023 05 25May 25, 2023	Louisiana releases BEAD proposal draft, digital equity plan	In The News	As states prepare to receive their allocations from the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program, Louisiana is putting the finishing touches on its plan to put that money to work.
2023 05 19May 19, 2023	Governors Announce Bipartisan Permitting Vision To Accelerate Project Delivery	In The News	“Governors are working together across party lines and state lines on common sense solutions to safely speed up the process to deliver energy and infrastructure benefits nationwide, and we stand ready to support congressional efforts to do the same at the federal level."
2023 05 18May 18, 2023	Billions for broadband reignites public, private tension	In The News	The prospect of tens-of-billions in federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law dollars flowing to states to expand broadband access is reviving an old battle over public versus private internet providers. The BEAD program aims to close the so-called digital divide and bring high-speed internet service to the estimated 18 to 42 million Americans who are still without access.
2023 05 18May 18, 2023	Fiber or fixed wireless? States differ on best bang for federal broadband bucks	In The News	With billions of federal infrastructure dollars on the line, state officials may soon face a dilemma when it comes to trying to connect the hardest-to-reach homes in rural America to high-speed internet: which technology to use.
2023 05 17May 17, 2023	States race to prepare for $42.5B in federal broadband funds	In The News	States are scrambling to prepare for a influx of federal money set to flow from Washington in an unprecedented push to connect unserved and underserved U.S. households to high-speed internet. By June 30, the federal government is expected to announce each state’s allocation of $42.5 billion in Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment grants that are part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
2023 05 08May 08, 2023	2023 Wireless Infrastructure Association Connectivity Expo	Events	The 2023 Connectivity Expo was focused on universal 5G coverage. Leaders from every industry sector were present to engage with the latest solutions and connect with new partners. Veneeth Iyengar was a plenary speaker to discuss the progress Louisiana has made in all things broadband and spoke about how the state plans to spend BEAD infrastructure dollars. May 8-10, 2023 New Orleans, La.
2023 05 02May 02, 2023	Broadband Breakfast – GUMBO and Louisiana’s Broadband Progress	In The News	Louisiana was first awarded a planning grant from IIJA, first to receive ARP funding ARP and is first in per capita broadband adoption.
2023 05 01May 01, 2023	Louisiana Works on Map Challenge Process as it Prepares Digital Equity Plan for Next Week	In The News	Louisiana is working to outline its challenge processes according to NTIA guidelines while facing planning deadlines and deployment challenges. As states prepare their five-year action and digital equity plans, they are also working to outline a state challenge process that will allow entities to submit evidence to dispute a state’s claim on whether a location is unserved or underserved.
2023 04 28April 28, 2023	The PAR Perspective: Connecting Louisiana Through Broadband	In The News	Panelists Veneeth Iyengar, Executive Director of Louisiana's Office of Broadband Development and Connectivity, and Sen. Beth Mizell, Senate President Pro Tempore and a strong advocate for broadband expansion, discussed ongoing work to improve high-speed internet access and affordability across Louisiana as the state receives hundreds of millions of federal dollars to invest in the effort.
2023 04 26April 26, 2023	April Newsletter	Newsletters	While we may not hold Mardi Gras parades to celebrate our residents receiving internet access, the feeling is just as joyful. Over the past few months, we celebrated the completion or groundbreaking of many broadband projects. Some providers have even begun taking on customers in these newly served areas.
2023 04 25April 25, 2023	Conexon to launch first community broadband project in East Carroll, Louisiana	In The News	In a press release, the company says it was selected by "a consortium of community organizations" to build and operate a fiber network across the parish that will connect approximately 1,500 homes and businesses.
2023 04 24April 24, 2023	2023 Broadband Leaders Workshop	Events	The National Governor's Association hosted broadband leaders to speak about upcoming Initial Proposal required to receive funding from the BEAD Program, among other issues. Veneeth Iyengar spoke as a key panelist and held conversations on BEAD program and workforce efforts in Louisiana. April 24-26, 2023 Las Vegas, Nev.
2023 04 19April 19, 2023	For broadband, states urged to address network engineer shortages	In The News	Forging partnerships with local schools, colleges and companies could prevent internet infrastructure delays, experts said during an event. State broadband offices could benefit from working with high schools, colleges and industry partners to recruit and train new broadband engineers and technicians, speakers at a conference hosted by the Telecommunication Industry Association said Wednesday.
2023 04 13April 13, 2023	2023 USTelecom American Connectivity Forum	In The News	USTelecom's American Connectivity Forum brought together broadband leaders from throughout the U.S. for important discussions on the path forward to connect all communities. Veneeth Iyengar spoke as a panelist to provide an update on how Louisiana plans to address the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program.' April 13, 2023
2023 04 12April 12, 2023	The Road Ahead | Why 2023 is the Year to get in Gear	In The News	"On an ordinary Louisiana afternoon in an ordinary Louisiana town, dignitaries and officials mark an extraordinary milestone in their community's story. Photograph's are taken, ceremonial gestures are made, lives are changed. This single gathering celebrates five hundred households and a half dozen businesses that are now connect to high-speed, affordable internet service - a service found shockingly sparse just three years ago, when families and employees across the state found themselves attempting to learn or earn from home during a pandemic."
2023 04 05April 05, 2023	Cassidy Hosts Rural Community Funding Summits in North Louisiana, Acadiana	In The News	U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) concluded his first week of Rural Community Funding Summits in Louisiana, visiting Ruston, Winnsboro and Opelousas. Local officials throughout North Louisiana and Acadiana met with representatives of federal and state agencies to discuss how they can access funds from Cassidy’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).
2023 03 28March 28, 2023	Louisiana broadband office on track to get everyone internet before 2029 deadline	In The News	Approximately 1.7 million people don’t have access to internet in Louisiana. That is a problem the Office of Broadband Development and Connectivity or ConnectLA is working to solve. The goal is to have broadband available for everyone by 2029. The leader of the office says they expect to have it done sooner, by early 2028.
2023 03 01March 01, 2023	NTIA Seeks Comment on How to Spend $2.5 Billion in Digital Equity Act	In The News	The National Telecommunications and Information Administration announced Wednesday that it is seeking comment on how to structure the $2.5 billion that the Digital Equity Act provides to promote digital equity and inclusion. As part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Digital Equity Act consists of two sub-programs, the State Digital Equity Capacity grant and the Digital Equity Competitive grant. Comments will guide how the NTIA will design, regulate, and evaluate criteria for both programs.
2023 03 01March 01, 2023	Net Inclusion 2023	Events	The National Digital Inclusion Alliance hosts Net Inclusion yearly to convene policymakers, advocates, researches, evaluators and community partners to discuss the importance of digital equity in the modern world. Veneeth Iyengar was a plenary panelist and provided strategies and tactics on how Louisiana is addressing the digital divide challenges for residents. March 1-2, 2023 San Antonio, Texas
2023 02 28February 28, 2023	February Newsletter	Newsletters	Our office signed more than 70 grant agreements with 15 providers for projects in more than 40 parishes, affecting thousands of households and small businesses. We have been traveling the state, working with providers and communities to ensure local stakeholders are updated on our next steps and to help remedy permitting and workforce issues.
2023 02 26February 26, 2023	2023 Sorenson Impact Summit	Events	The Sorenson impact Summit is an annual event that brings together some of the top decision-makers across the public and private sectors. Veneeth Iyengar spoke as a Panels to provide an update on how states are addressing broadband infrastructure needs. Feb. 26-28, 2023 Park City, Utah
2023 02 20February 20, 2023	2023 Rural Telecom Industry Meeting and Expo	Events	Each year, the National Telephone Cooperative Association — The Rural Broadband Association hosts the Rural Telecom Industry Meeting and Expo. Veneeth Iyengar spoke as a panelist to provide an update on Louisiana's broadband plans to other states and territories. Feb. 20, 2023 San Diego, Calif.
2023 02 16February 16, 2023	2023 Louisiana Communications Convention	Events	Louisiana Internet and Television and Louisiana Telecommunications Association hosted the fifth annual Louisiana Communications Convention in New Orleans, La. Veneeth Iyengar was a keynote speaker and provided an update on the state's broadband plans for 2023. Feb. 16, 2023 New Orleans, La.
2023 02 15February 15, 2023	Spectrum, Gov. John Bel Edwards and Area Leaders Break Ground on Broadband Network	In The News	Spectrum representatives joined Gov. John Bel Edwards and other community leaders today to break ground on construction of a fiber-optic network buildout that will ultimately bring gigabit broadband and other Spectrum services to more than 500 homes and small businesses in Livingston Parish.
2023 02 14February 14, 2023	Community leaders, Spectrum reps help Governor break ground on broadband project	In The News	Spectrum representatives joined Gov. John Bel Edwards and other community leaders today to break ground on construction of a fiber-optic network buildout that will ultimately bring gigabit broadband and other Spectrum services to more than 500 homes and small businesses in Livingston Parish.
2023 02 14February 14, 2023	Spectrum, Gov. John Bel Edwards and Area Leaders Break Ground on Broadband Network	In The News	Gov. John Bel Edwards and other community leaders joined Spectrum officials to break ground on construction of a fiber-optic network buildout that will ultimately bring gigabit broadband and other services to more than 500 homes and small businesses in Livingston Parish.
2023 02 14February 14, 2023	Gov. Edwards, officials to discuss La. economy, internet access	In The News	Governor John Bel Edwards will join officials at Southern University for a news conference Tuesday, Feb. 14. The governor, along with SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, Congressman Troy Carter, Southern University President Dennis Shields, and other officials at Southern, plan to discuss investments and initiatives under the direction of President Biden that expand economic opportunity and prosperity throughout Louisiana.
2023 02 14February 14, 2023	Livingston Parish to receive broadband network through GUMBO grant	In The News	Spectrum representatives joined Governor John Bel Edwards and other community leaders to break ground on the construction of a fiber-optic network buildout through broadband. This will ultimately bring gigabit broadband and other Spectrum services to over 500 homes and small businesses in Livingston Parish.
2023 02 07February 07, 2023	2023 NTIA State Broadband Leaders Network	Events	The National Telecommunication and Information Administration's State Broadband Leaders Network meets to share best practices and discuss emerging issues among state and federal agencies. Veneeth Iyengar spoke as a panelist to provide an update on our broadband plans to other states and territories. Feb. 7-9, 2023 Washington D.C.
2023 01 10January 10, 2023	Gov. Edwards urges federal government to fast track broadband funding review	Blogs	In a letter to the federal government, Gov. Edwards urged agencies to accelerate their review of how best to administer remaining broadband funding. The letter to the FCC and NTIA asks these agencies not to delay current federal timelines for initiatives such as the FCC’s mapping challenge and also emphasized the urgency with which Louisianians need access to broadband.
2023 01 10January 10, 2023	Governor's Letter to FCC and NTIA	Correspondence	In a letter to FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and NTIA Administrator Alan Davidson, Gov. John Bel Edwards asks the federal organizations not to extend the deadline for states to present their plans to address the digital divide. He argues that such a delay would penalize states that are acting quickly to put their plans into place.
2023 01 05January 05, 2023	Robust Cybersecurity Necessary as Connectivity Grows	In The News	Veneeth Iyengar, broadband director of Louisiana, said he is working to make his state attractive to “disruptive” technologies that will benefit industries such as precision agriculture. Once broadband has been made accessible to all Louisianans, Iyengar said the next step is to consider how to “make broadband as an asset platform an enabler to drive Louisiana’s economy, making it even more inclusive.”
2023 01 05January 05, 2023	2023 Consumer Electronics Show	Events	The Consumer Electronics Show is an annual trade show that showcases manufacturers, developers and suppliers of consumer technology. Veneeth Iyengar spoke about the ways broadband connectivity can drive Louisiana's economy and make it more inclusive for all residents. Jan. 5-8, 2023 Las Vegas, Nev.
2023 01 04January 04, 2023	State Rep. Mike Johnson, Connect LA urge residents to ‘challenge the map’ for statewide internet access	In The News	The Federal Communications Commission has published new broadband service and availability maps, which will be used to determine how much funding states across the country will receive from the federal government to provide internet access to underserved areas within their state. Connect LA is calling on citizens of Louisiana to challenge the accuracy of these maps to accurately provide high-speed internet access for all Louisianians by 2029.
2022 12 23December 23, 2022	State Broadband Offices Should Emphasize Adoption and Sustainability	In The News	As states begin to receive funds from the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment Act, they need to lay the groundwork for high adoption and fiscal sustainability, said panelists at a Brookings event on December 15. The majority of the BEAD program’s $42.5 billion in funding has yet to be disbursed, and state allocations are expected by June 2023. But without efforts to drive adoption, the government’s investment in connectivity will fall short, panelists agreed.
2022 12 23December 23, 2022	DIGITAL INCLUSIONState Broadband Offices Should Emphasize Adoption and Sustainability	In The News	As states begin to receive funds from the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment Act, they need to lay the groundwork for high adoption and fiscal sustainability, said panelists at a Brookings event on December 15. The majority of the BEAD program’s $42.5 billion in funding has yet to be disbursed, and state allocations are expected by June 2023.
2022 12 20December 20, 2022	Lafourche locals learn about new high-speed internet project at orientation event	In The News	REV/REV Business teamed with Lafourche Parish Government and ConnectLA/Office of Broadband Development and Connectivity to host an orientation for Lafourche stakeholders. During the orientation, details were shared about the Office of Broadband-funded partnership project between parish government and the local internet service provider.
2022 12 19December 19, 2022	FCC Mapping Challenge	In The News	ConnectLA needs your help! The Federal Communications Commission has published new broadband service and availability maps, which will be used to determine how much funding states will receive from the federal government to provide internet to underserved areas in their state. Challenging the accuracy of these maps is critical in our efforts to truly eliminate the digital divide by 2029, so visit broadbandmap.fcc.gov to view your neighborhood and share the graphic below with others.
2022 12 19December 19, 2022	FCC Mapping Challenge	In The News	ConnectLA needs your help! The Federal Communications Commission has published new broadband service and availability maps, which will be used to determine how much funding states will receive from the federal government to provide internet to underserved areas in their state. Challenging the accuracy of these maps is critical in our efforts to truly eliminate the digital divide by 2029.
2022 12 09December 09, 2022	Fall Newsletter	Newsletters	As we prepare for 2023, we are excited to get underserved residents connected and hope Louisianians learn from these residents' resilience and determination. This newsletter will give you a brief look at the work we have been doing the past few months, along with some photos of us in action.
2022 11 22November 22, 2022	LA Expected To Get $1.2 Billion For Statewide Digital Broadband Development	In The News	Prior to the Coronavirus pandemic, few states had an agency that focused on bridging the gaps between communities that had reliable and affordable high-speed internet services and those who didn’t. Today each state has a broad-band office.
2022 11 16November 16, 2022	A Year One Update on the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act: Investing in Broadband Deployment	In The News	One aim of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is to ensure that every American has access to reliable, affordable, high-speed internet service. Here we provide an update on the implementation of two programs aimed at extending the reach of broadband networks in the U.S.: the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program and the Enabling Middle Mile Infrastructure Grant Program.
2022 11 16November 16, 2022	2022 National Summit on Education	Events	The National Summit on Education convenes the nation’s leaders in education policy to share what works, what doesn’t and what’s next in education. For two action-filled days, attendees shared and learned about new trends, successful policies, evolving laws and the latest innovations designed to build a brighter future for America’s families. Nov. 16-18, 2022 Salt Lake City, Utah
2022 11 15November 15, 2022	LA North Delta Digital Equity Outreach and Engagement Tour reaches LDCC - Monroe campus	In The News	Educational institutions across the state are coming together to host the Louisiana North Delta Digital Equity Outreach and Engagement Tour. Stakeholders from various organizations and small businesses gathered to discuss the inability of those communities who can’t afford to have access to digital assets and the lack of skills that are holding individuals back from being able to engage online.
2022 11 02November 02, 2022	New hot job: State high-speed internet network director	In The News	States are shoring up expertise in high-speed internet networks by creating or expanding broadband offices to prepare for an influx of infrastructure cash. Why it matters: Ensuring that more than $40 billion in new funding connects every American to high-speed internet service is a job that's falling to the states — and they need help.
2022 10 31October 31, 2022	Thomas Tyler Named One of Baton Rouge Business Report's "Forty Under 40"	In The News	Our deputy director, Thomas Tyler, was recognized in the Baton Rouge Business Report's annual feature, which "spotlights and honors promising young professionals in the our community who have achieved success and excelled in their field before the age of 40.
2022 10 24October 24, 2022	Perkins unveils program to bridge digital divide in Shreveport	In The News	Using hi-tech gadgets mounted on the garbage trucks, the city mapped out areas of the city that don't have good internet access. Cellular towers have been put atop three library branches. The towers will provide free Wi-Fi to homes and businesses within range -- perhaps a thousand properties near each hot spot.
2022 10 14October 14, 2022	Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition Annual Conference	Events	Veneeth Iyengar was a panelist at AnchorNets's 10th Annual Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband (SHLB) Conference, where he spoke on how states can prioritize broadband funding on their policy agenda. Oct. 12-14, 2022 Crystal City, Va.
2022 10 13October 13, 2022	How can you engage broadband stakeholders?	In The News	As we discover new ways to get people involved in the broadband process, we want to highlight an important discussion from our Broadband Solutions Summit in August. In the panel below, Lauren Chauvin, executive director of the Louisiana Internet and Television Association, leads a discussion on how providers, residents and government officials can work together to create more engagement with broadband.
2022 10 07October 07, 2022	Louisiana Upholds $4M Grant to Expand Internet Access in East Carroll	In The News	Linda Milikin, a leader with Delta Interfaith said: “We applaud the work of Veneeth Iyengar and the Louisiana’s broadband office which has carefully considered the evidence and decided to uphold the grant award! Lake Providence Residents are cautiously celebrating the Louisiana state government’s decision to uphold a $4 million GUMBO grant awarded to expand broadband in East Carroll Parish
2022 10 07October 07, 2022	2022 Johns Hopkins Alumni Association Awards	Events	ConnectLA Executive Director Veneeth Iyengar won an award for his public service at the Johns Hopkins Alumni Association Celebration Dinner on Oct. 7, 2022. The award recognized Johns Hopkins alumni who have elevated the status of the university via their service as elected or appointed public officials. Oct. 7, 2022 Baltimore, Md.
2022 10 07October 07, 2022	2022 Johns Hopkins Alumni Association Awards	Events	ConnectLA Executive Director Veneeth Iyengar won an award for his public service at the Johns Hopkins Alumni Association Celebration Dinner on Oct. 7, 2022. The award recognized Johns Hopkins alumni who have elevated the status of the university via their service as elected or appointed public officials. Oct. 7, 2022 Baltimore, Md.
2022 10 06October 06, 2022	How can we achieve digital equity?	In The News	As Digital Equity Week comes to a close, we would like to end the week with a throwback to our Broadband Solutions Summit in August where the topic of digital equity was top of mind. Rick Gallot, President of Grambling University, Dr. Susannah Craig, Deputy Commissioner for Strategic Planning and Student Success at the Louisiana Board of Regents, Dr. Anna Osland of the Blanco Public Policy Center and Mia Ruffin of the Capital Region Planning Commission joined us for this panel.
2022 10 05October 05, 2022	CenLa Economic Development Summit	Events	Veneeth Iyengar was a keynote speaker at the Louisiana Central Regional Economic Development Summit, where he discussed how increasing investments in broadband will serve as a catalyst for economic development in central Louisiana. Oct. 4-5, 2022 Alexandria, La.
2022 10 04October 04, 2022	Livingston Parish Library opens Digital Inclusion Pilot program	In The News	Livingston Parish Library has announced its participation in the Louisiana Statewide Digital Inclusion Pilot. The initiative is a partnership between the Louisiana Board of Regents, ConnectLA (Louisiana Office of Broadband Development and Connectivity), LOUIS: the Louisiana Library Network, the State Library of Louisiana and the Louisiana Department of Education to help bridge the state’s digital divide and increase the digital literacy skills of its residents, a news release said.
2022 10 03October 03, 2022	Digital Equity Week	In The News	ConnectLA would like to wish all broadband stakeholders a happy Digital Equity Week. At its core, digital equity is about providing everyone with the tools to fully participate online regardless of age, race, income, location or ability status.
2022 09 29September 29, 2022	GNOu Workforce Summit	Events	Veneeth Iyengar served as a panelist at this summit to discuss what local stakeholders need to do to drive job growth in the broadband sector. Sept. 29, 2022 New Orleans, La.
2022 09 27September 27, 2022	'Crucial infrastructure': Area agencies, stakeholders discuss how to close Acadiana's digital divide	In The News	Veneeth Iyengar, executive director, ConnectLA, said the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, has OK’d the drawdown of funds to develop a plan. But it requires a “ton of stakeholder engagement to understand the broadband challenges.”
2022 09 25September 25, 2022	Louisiana officials announce $35M in broadband grants for 10 parishes	In The News	Gov. John Bel Edwards on Wednesday announced $35 million in grants going to 10 parishes over the next two years to expand broadband to nearly 15,000 locations.
2022 09 22September 22, 2022	New highspeed internet coming to rural St. Martin Parish	In The News	Highspeed internet will soon be available throughout rural St. Martin Parish. With groundbreaking construction of the new Cajun Broadband fiber internet, multiple government officials came together Thursday to take part in the historic moment.
2022 09 13September 13, 2022	Louisiana to Leverage the Fiber Broadband Association’s OpTIC Path™ Program to Close the Digital Divide by 2029	In The News	The Fiber Broadband Association today announced that Bossier Parish Community College (BPCC) in Louisiana will soon offer the FBA Optical Telecom Installer Certification Path (OpTIC Path™) program, with its first course to begin in Fall 2022.
2022 09 11September 11, 2022	Broadband internet funding helping close Louisiana’s digital divide	In The News	Louisiana came out on top. It was the first state to receive broadband funding from the Infrastructure and Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) passed into law last year. The $2,941,542.28 grant is for the deployment and adoption of affordable and reliable high-speed internet throughout the state, the first of over a billion dollars expected to be allotted to Louisiana over the next five years.
2022 09 02September 02, 2022	Future of Louisiana Broadband on Stage with BEAD Planning, Workforce Training	In The News	Louisiana Office of Broadband Development and Connectivity Executive Director Veneeth Iyengar urged communities, electric cooperatives, service providers and even libraries to work together in anticipation for the $2.9 million BEAD grant, whose award was announced at the ConnectLA summit.
2022 08 31August 31, 2022	Governor Edwards Announces 1st in the country NTIA Grants and more GUMBO Awards Aimed at Closing the Digital Divide	In The News	Gov. John Bel Edwards was joined by federal, state, and locally elected officials and community leaders for the inaugural Broadband Solutions Summit to announce that over $35 million will be distributed to bring affordable high-speed internet to nearly 15,000 locations within the next 18-24 months.
2022 08 31August 31, 2022	Louisiana officials announce $35M in broadband grants for 10 parishes	In The News	Gov. John Bel Edwards on Wednesday announced $35 million in grants going to 10 parishes over the next two years to expand broadband to nearly 15,000 locations.
2022 08 31August 31, 2022	ConnectLA Broadband Solutions Summit	Events	ConnectLA, in partnership with the National Telecommunications & Information Administration, hosted the inaugural Broadband Solutions Summit on Aug. 31, 2022, in Alexandria. This summit brought together stakeholders from government and business to discuss recent developments in broadband. Gov. John Bel Edwards also gave keynote remarks. Aug. 31, 2022 Alexandria, La.
2022 08 25August 25, 2022	Action Lab on Leveling the Academic Playing Field	Events	The Action Lab on Leveling the Academic Playing Field is hosted by the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U), the National Governors Association and the Education Strategy Group (ESG) and brings together various stakeholders to discuss the role of postsecondary education in digital equity planning for states. Aug. 24-25, 2022 Washington, D.C.
2022 08 19August 19, 2022	Broadband Solutions Summit Registration	Events	ConnectLA, in partnership with the National Telecommunications & Information Administration, is hosting the inaugural Broadband Solutions Summit on Aug. 31, 2022, at The Hotel Bentley in Alexandria. This free summit will bring together critical stakeholders from federal, state and local government, as well as business owners, tribal communities and other key partners.
2022 08 12August 12, 2022	Summer Newsletter	Newsletters	Here at ConnectLA, in the spirit of the new academic year, we wanted to share some of what we accomplished this summer. We traveled to affected areas to meet with residents. We spoke at events to discuss the work we are doing. Some of us even moved to another state (more on this later). Most importantly, we placed the first solid stake in the ground in our efforts to close the digital divide in Louisiana by investing $130 million to provide access to high-speed internet throughout the state.
2022 08 05August 05, 2022	SBLN Summer Summit 2022	Events	The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Summer SBLN Summit convened state broadband staff and encouraged them to share priorities and discuss best practices and emerging telecommunications policy issues. The summit focused on federal broadband programs that states will play a key role in implementing. Aug. 3-5, 2022 Westminster, Colo.
2022 08 03August 03, 2022	NCSL Legislative Summit 2022	Events	Each year, The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) brings together legislators and legislative staff for the Legislative Summit, the largest and most substantive meeting of its kind in the nation. Veneeth Iyengar served on a panel with other state broadband directors to discuss broadband expansion. Aug. 1-3, 2022 Denver, Colo.
2022 08 01August 01, 2022	Iberia Parish granted $5.2 million for broadband expansion	In The News	Iberia parish is expanding its broadband services. The multi-million dollar project...will enhance wifi services for nearly three thousand residents in the area across several cities. The $5.2 million expansion from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds and Granting of Unserved Municipalities Broadband Opportunities or "GUMBO."
2022 07 27July 27, 2022	First Wave of GUMBO Awards Announced	In The News	Finally! On Monday, our state placed the first solid stake in the ground in the race to eliminate the digital divide by 2029.
2022 07 25July 25, 2022	Gov. Edwards announces multi-million dollar investment into state’s internet services	In The News	Gov. John Bel Edwards was joined by state lawmakers, locally elected leaders in North Louisiana and higher education commissioner Kim Hunter Reed to announce a multi-million dollar investment from the American Rescue Plan to make the internet more affordable and accessible across 50 parishes.
2022 07 25July 25, 2022	A Major Federal Investment in Broadband Expansion Statewide and New Digital Literacy Pilot Programs	In The News	Today’s announcement highlights the important groundwork that Gov. Edwards began in 2019 when he signed an executive order creating the Broadband for Everyone Louisiana Commission with the goal of eliminating the digital divide by 2029.
2022 07 25July 25, 2022	Governor John Bel Edwards announces $6.2 million for broadband in Northeast Louisiana	In The News	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
2022 07 25July 25, 2022	La. state leaders announce major investment in broadband internet expansion, digital literacy program	In The News	Louisiana state leaders announced a $130 million investment from the America Rescue Plan to bring more affordable and accessible internet to more than 66,000 households and small businesses through Internet Service Providers in 50 parishes.
2022 07 25July 25, 2022	$130 million in La. broadband access projects announced in first round of 'Gumbo' grants	In The News	More than 66,000 Louisiana homes and businesses are in line to get faster internet, funded by the first round of GUMBO Grants to build broadband infrastructure in Louisiana's underserved areas, Gov. John Bel Edwards announced Monday.
2022 07 25July 25, 2022	'The internet failed them': Louisiana plans $180M investment for broadband in rural areas	In The News	When the coronavirus pandemic struck, and society turned to technology to stay connected, the rural town of Ville Platte was left in a lurch. With some of the slowest internet speeds in the nation, students there struggled to log on to their virtual classrooms, and working from home wasn't an option.
2022 07 23July 23, 2022	ACEC Deep South Convention	Events	The American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) Deep South Convention brings together owners and key principals from premier engineering and service provider firms in the Deep South. Veneeth Iyengar served on a panel with other southeastern state agencies to discuss Louisiana's approach to broadband expansion. July 21-23, 2022 Miramar Beach, Fla.
2022 07 11July 11, 2022	Announcement from ConnectLA	In The News	We are thrilled that a core member of our team, Glen Howie Jr., has been named by Governor Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas to be that state’s Broadband Director. He will start Aug. 1. Glen helped ConnectLa, now it’s his time to work with us to Connect the Boot!
2022 06 29June 29, 2022	SelectUSA Investment Summit 2022	Events	The SelectUSA Investment Summit is the highest-profile event in the United States dedicated to promoting foreign direct investment (FDI). Veneeth Iyengar spoke on a panel with Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf, where they discussed the exciting opportunities for more investors from more markets to engage and interact. June 26-29, 2022 National Harbor, Md.
2022 06 28June 28, 2022	GUMBO Update	In The News	ConnectLA has been working with providers and stakeholders over the past few months to address applications, protests and appeals of the GUMBO Round One awards. The office, with the assistance from the commissioner of administration, has determined that a shortened appeal round will occur in July for specific locations that were protested on the merit of DSL availability.
2022 06 22June 22, 2022	Broadband Access Summit	Events	The Pew Charitable Trusts hosted partners, policymakers, broadband officials, and other leaders from across the country for discussions and workshops designed to equip attendees with the essential information and skills they need to get started on a path to broadband for all. June 21-22, 2022 Cleveland, Ohio
2022 06 15June 15, 2022	Fiber Connect 2022	Events	Fiber Connect 2022 is the leading optical fiber business and technology event, delivering educational and influential content and programs focused on the intersection of business, broadband and digital infrastructure investment. Veneeth Iyengar spoke on a panel where he discussed a fiber strategy for state broadband offices. June 12-15, 2022 Nashville, Tenn.
2022 06 13June 13, 2022	State Broadband Offices Outline Plans for Billions in Broadband Funds	In The News	Representatives from the state broadband offices of Idaho, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine and New Mexico last month at the Mountain Connect conference outlined plans for how they expect to use and distribute billions in upcoming federal dollars. Louisiana’s state office plans to stretch its funding by structuring the scoring criteria for its grant program to incentivize additional matching funds from grant applicants.
2022 06 10June 10, 2022	StriveTogether Policy Convening	Events	StriveTogether's mission is to build a world where a child’s potential isn’t dictated by race, ethnicity, zip code or circumstance. At this policy convening, Veneeth Iyengar gave a keynote address on how Louisiana is eliminating the digital divide. June 8-10, 2022 New Orleans, La.
2022 06 07June 07, 2022	More than 88,000 Louisiana homes, businesses to gain high-speed internet with new federal funding	In The News	Louisiana will receive $176.7 million for broadband infrastructure projects, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced Tuesday, allowing nearly 88,500 homes and businesses in the state to gain access to high-speed internet.
2022 05 25May 25, 2022	Mountain Connect	Events	Mountain Connect focuses on a myriad of topics including smart infrastructure, digital government, economic development, healthcare, education, emerging technologies, policy impacting broadband and broadband education for elected officials. May 23-25, 2022 Keystone, Colo.
2022 05 12May 12, 2022	Wall Street Journal Profiles ConnectLA's Stakeholder Engagement Efforts	In The News	Engaging with local communities has always been a top priority of ConnectLA. The Wall Street Journal recently profiled our office and the continual stakeholder engagement methods we use to reach rural areas of Louisiana. It speaks volumes to the work that Louisiana stakeholders are doing to bring broadband to every corner of our state, and we are proud to be a part of it.
2022 05 06May 06, 2022	May Newsletter	Newsletters	April is a busy time in Baton Rouge, in large part because the State Capitol is bustling with legislators and community leaders from throughout the state for the 2022 Regular Legislative Session. Our office and GUMBO grant program were born in the Legislature, and each year, we pay close attention to bills related to broadband in Louisiana. Let's take a look at a few of the measures that will be considered in the coming weeks regarding our work here at ConnectLA.
2022 05 03May 03, 2022	Springhill small business owner on broadband in rural Louisiana	Blogs	Chillon Caraway wears many hats. She is the brand manager of the Louisiana Organ Procurement Agency, producer of The Gifted Life podcast, founder and CEO of CC Brand Studio and mother to two teenage boys. ConnectLA's Sydney McGovern features small business owner and rural Louisianian, Chillon Caraway.
2022 04 28April 28, 2022	What is the main barrier to broadband access in Louisiana?	In The News	Providing greater access to high-speed internet services in rural and lower-income urban areas has been a priority of federal and state officials to support education and economic development, and the survey’s findings help delineate the extent of the problem.
2022 04 28April 28, 2022	PSC votes to allow rural co-op to provide broadband but a LSU survey shows cost is a factor in receiving high-speed internet	In The News	Commissioner Foster Campbell said Northeast Louisiana Power Co-Op will supply broadband for members in seven northeast parishes.
2022 04 28April 28, 2022	Internet is coming to North Louisiana: Winnsboro rural electric co-op to offer broadband	In The News	Residents of rural areas of northeast Louisiana are one step closer to getting broadband internet service. The Louisiana Public Service Commission gave the Northeast Louisiana Power Cooperative of Winnsboro final approval to enter the internet business on Wednesday.
2022 04 27April 27, 2022	LPSC approved first co-op to offer internet service	In The News	The first Louisiana rural electric cooperative to enter the internet business will begin construction next month on a broadband service for its 11,500 members, thanks to approval Wednesday by the Louisiana Public Service Commission.
2022 04 27April 27, 2022	LSU Survey: Main barrier to broadband internet is cost	In The News	In the fifth installment of the 2022 Louisiana Survey, released Tuesday, residents say the most common barrier to having broadband internet is the cost of the service.
2022 04 27April 27, 2022	2022 Louisiana Survey Shows Cost of Service Primary Reason More Lack Broadband at Home	In The News	Many of those without broadband said they do not have this service because it is not available in their area (42 percent), but the most commonly named barrier to having broadband at home is the cost of the service (64 percent).
2022 04 27April 27, 2022	2022 Louisiana Survey Shows Cost of Service Primary Reason More Lack Broadband at Home	In The News	Research from the Public Policy Research Lab (PPRL) at LSU Manship School of Mass Communication’s Reilly Center for Media & Public Affairs shows three quarters of Louisiana adults have high-speed internet service in their home. Those without broadband cite availability and cost of service as the reasons why they do not.
2022 04 27April 27, 2022	NELA power companies to offer broadband internet	In The News	Some Northeast Louisiana power companies will soon offer broadband internet service to customers. Louisiana’s first rural broadband service offered by an electric cooperative was approved today by the Louisiana Public Service Commission.
2022 04 27April 27, 2022	Cost chief barrier to internet access in Louisiana, survey finds	In The News	Louisiana residents say the most common barrier to having broadband internet access at home is the cost of the service, according to a survey. More than half of respondents said they don’t need it because they have smartphones.
2022 04 27April 27, 2022	Survey shows La. residents’ opinions on internet access	In The News	In March, Governor John Bel Edwards announced that Louisiana was going to receive nearly $30 million from the U.S. Department of Commerce for broadband expansion in some parishes. Cox and ConnectLA have said they’re participating in the Affordable Connectivity Program, which helps provide homes with internet access needed for work, school, healthcare, and more at an affordable rate.
2022 04 27April 27, 2022	Louisiana Public Service Commission approves plan for first Louisiana rural electric cooperative to offer internet service	In The News	According to Joe Shyne with the District five Louisiana Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell, on Wednesday, April 27, 2022, the Louisiana Public Service Commission announced that the first Louisiana rural electric cooperative to enter the internet business would begin construction in May 2022, on broadband service for its 11,500 members. According to Shyne, this happened thanks to the Louisiana Public Service Commission’s approval of the construction.
2022 04 25April 25, 2022	$10B Treasury Program Makes Funding Available for Broadband Infrastructure	In The News	The Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund (CPF) was established to support increased broadband adoption and access, in addition to supporting new broadband deployment. The CPF intends to “address many challenges laid bare by the pandemic … helping to ensure that all communities have access to the high-quality modern infrastructure, including broadband, needed to access critical services,” the Treasury Department announced.
2022 04 22April 22, 2022	Shreveport technology department takes a unique approach to solving the urban digital divide	Blogs	Think about the saying “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” The applications for this adage are limitless, and for Keith Hanson, Shreveport’s chief technology officer, his lemons were unreliable broadband usage maps. And his lemonade? Garbage trucks. ConnectLA's Sydney McGovern highlights Shreveport's unique way of eliminating the digital divide.
2022 04 22April 22, 2022	NTIA Funds Public-Private Broadband Partnerships	In The News	The Acadiana Planning Commission is receiving $29,940,612 to deploy last-mile fiber broadband in rural underserved areas of Louisiana. The Acadiana Planning Commission (APC)—made up of the Parish governments of Acadia Parish, Evangeline Parish, and St. Landry Parish—has entered into an eligible covered partnership with Allen’s TV Cable Service, DBA Allen Communications, and LUSFiber, owned by the Lafayette Utilities System, to accomplish the project within the three Parishes. In total, including the over $29 million grant from NTIA, the project will cost $35,263,502.
2022 04 22April 22, 2022	Feds: Before We Spend Billions on Broadband Rollout, We Need Better Maps	In The News	The infrastructure bill passed last year gives the government a serious budget to get every American online, but it also faces a serious problem: The government still doesn’t know exactly which regions lack broadband access.
2022 04 21April 21, 2022	Recapping ‘Central Louisiana Day at the Legislature’	In The News	One need for Central Louisiana residents might not be too far off from fulfillment: broadband. State Rep. Daryl Deshotel (R-District 28) gave Chamber visitors an update on the GUMBO Grant Program, which would bring accessible, high-speed broadband internet to unserved communities in the state.
2022 04 21April 21, 2022	LPESA Spring Conference 2022	Events	The Louisiana Parish Engineers and Supervisors Association (LPESA) brings together various stakeholders from throughout the state to discuss the latest developments in infrastructure, transportation, civil engineering and broadband access. April 20-21, 2022 Sulphur, La.
2022 04 20April 20, 2022	Strategies for Crafting Effective State Broadband Plans	In The News	Plans should assign responsibilities for carrying out recommended activities. Louisiana’s plan, for example, tasks the BEL Commission with creating maps, tracking local and regional broadband development, and developing partnerships to spur economic development.
2022 04 18April 18, 2022	The Role of Libraries in National Broadband Plans and Policies	In The News	Libraries are leading promoters and providers of free and equitable access to all types of information, to support education, learning, research, wellbeing and sustainable development. As part of this professional commitment, libraries and skilled librarians can and do bring more people online, and support digital literacy skills learning to enable them to make full use of (and benefit from) access to the internet and ICTs.
2022 04 15April 15, 2022	More Accurate Broadband Map Draws Closer: Providers Can Enter Broadband Availability Data into Preliminary Location Fabric	In The News	A preliminary version of the broadband serviceable location fabric is now available, and the FCC encourages broadband providers to begin inputting broadband availability data into it.
2022 04 14April 14, 2022	Vexus Fiber to Invest $12 Million in Louisiana Network	In The News	Vexus Fiber, a leading fiber service provider in Texas, Louisiana and New Mexico, is continuing to expand its 100% fiber optic network throughout the state of Louisiana. They are looking to bring fiber to an additional 13,000 homes and invest a total of $12 million in the area over the next 12 months.
2022 04 14April 14, 2022	Senator Cassidy talks North Louisiana’s incoming federal infrastructure funding at Rotary	In The News	According to the senator, the IIJA will move many rural counties from having the worst broadband connectivity in the country to the best. He specifically named Evangeline Parish as one of those counties. He said the currently have the fifth-worst broadband connectivity in the country.
2022 04 13April 13, 2022	Vexus Fiber™ Projected to Invest a Total of Over $12 Million in St. Tammany Parish	In The News	Vexus Fiber, a leading fiber service provider in Texas, Louisiana and New Mexico, is continuing to expand its 100% fiber optic network throughout the state of Louisiana. They are looking to bring fiber to an additional 13,000 homes and invest a total of $12 million in the area over the next 12 months.
2022 04 12April 12, 2022	Behind the Renaming Trend: A Broadband Brand Scorecard	In The News	The last two years or so have seen a slew of broadband providers rename either themselves or their services. Some are even using a brand name as though it was a company, issuing press releases that scarcely reference the official corporate identity, instead using only the brand name as the protagonist.
2022 04 12April 12, 2022	Wavelengths: RDOF and Broadband Deployment in the US.	In The News	RDOF, the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, is a critical piece of federal funding for broadband initiatives. RDOF already allocated round one of funding. Still, as round two gets underway, Wavelengths asked Tyler Cooper, Editor in Chief of BroadbandNow, to provide an eagle-eye view on RDOFs past and present to form some actionable strategies for the future as the FCC prepares new rules for fund payout. Cooper wrote an in-depth article for BroadbandNow on RDOF titled, Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) –Map, Auction and Analysis.
2022 04 11April 11, 2022	Senator Bill Cassidy in Evangeline Parish to talk broadband infrastructure	In The News	The theme of the day was opportunity; opportunity for Evangeline Parish to grow and for Ville Platte to go from worst to first when it comes to high-speed, reliable internet, and the abundance of opportunities broadband expansion will bring to the students in the parish. “This announcement is about you, about helping you achieve your potential,” Cassidy said.
2022 04 11April 11, 2022	Cassidy Announces Broadband Grant at Ville Platte High School	In The News	Today, U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) informed students at Ville Platte High School that they would benefit from a $29.9 million grant from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) that would connect most Evangeline Parish residents to broadband internet, including Ville Platte High School.
2022 04 11April 11, 2022	On heels of VP Harris, Senator Cassidy talks broadband funding in Evangeline Parish	In The News	Senator Bill Cassidy was in Evangeline Parish on Monday to announce funding to build broadband infrastructure in several parishes. At an event at Ville Platte High School, Cassidy told those gathered that the National Telecommunications and Information Administration will fund a $29.9 million grant to build broadband infrastructure in Evangeline, Acadia and St. Landry Parishes.
2022 04 05April 05, 2022	GUMBO grant hopes to provide affordable, accessible internet for unserved areas	In The News	GUMBO is geared toward helping private providers bring more accessible and affordable internet to areas in the state with low internet speed. On April 5, Executive Director of ConnectLA Veneeth Lyengar took a visit to north La. areas to speak with mayors about the progress.
2022 03 31March 31, 2022	T-Mobile US broadens FWA reach	In The News	The operator added cities in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee to its Home Internet roster, seeking to lure subscribers with a limited-time one-month free offer, as well as one year of Paramount+, and $10 off YouTube TV and Philo for one year.
2022 03 31March 31, 2022	March Newsletter	Newsletters	This week, ConnectLA celebrates its one year anniversary. It is hard to believe our work started here a year ago, and it's even harder to imagine the progress we have made since March 29, 2021. We've come a long way since drafting grant rules, connecting with local leaders throughout the state and launching the application and review process for our GUMBO grant.
2022 03 30March 30, 2022	Increasing connectivity to address health disparities requires more than expanding broadband access	In The News	To recap: $65 billion is going to be spent on addressing the digital divide in the U.S., said panel moderator Veneeth Iyengar, who is the executive director of broadband development and connectivity for the state of Louisiana. In that role, he’s overseeing an investment of between $1.8 billion and $2 billion to improve internet connectivity; it’s money that must be spent over the next five years.
2022 03 30March 30, 2022	National provider to offer gigabit broadband to rural areas of St. Landry, Evangeline	In The News	Spectrum, the trade name for Charter Communications, will offer internet, mobile, TV and voice services to more than 650 homes and small businesses in the Lawtell, Grand Prairie, Port Barre and Washington areas.
2022 03 30March 30, 2022	T-Mobile Increases Access to 5G Home Internet in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee	In The News	5G Home Internet from T-Mobile is getting even bigger for states across the South! Today, T-Mobile (NASDAQ: TMUS) announced it’s expanding access to its breakthrough fixed wireless service again, now in more places across Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee. Across these states, close to 3 million people still have no access or only one choice when it comes to traditional home broadband.
2022 03 30March 30, 2022	MedCity Invest	Events	MedCity INVEST is the premier national healthcare investing conference. Veneeth Iyengar served as the moderator for a panel discussion on improving health equity. March 28-30, 2022 Chicago, Ill.
2022 03 24March 24, 2022	Small-town mayor ushers in big-time progress for broadband in Grosse Tete	Blogs	Sydney McGovern from ConnectLA highlights Grosse Tete Mayor Michael Chauffe and his efforts to deliver much needed broadband to his village.
2022 03 24March 24, 2022	Kennedy, Shaheen introduce bipartisan bill to improve rural broadband in Louisiana	In The News	Sens. John Kennedy (R-La.) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) today introduced the bipartisan Small Business Broadband and Emerging Information Technology Enhancement Act to address the lack of broadband internet and other emerging information technology resources in rural areas by improving Small Business Administration (SBA) programs.
2022 03 23March 23, 2022	Shaheen, Kennedy Lead Bipartisan Effort to Prioritize Broadband Access for Small Businesses	In The News	“Small businesses represent 97% of Louisiana employers, and they need broadband to create and sustain more jobs—especially after our state suffered through a series of natural disasters over the last year-and-a-half,” said Senator Kennedy. “This bill would help expand access to broadband and other crucial technological resources for job creators in our state.”
2022 03 23March 23, 2022	Regional Fiber Connect Workshop	Events	Regional Fiber Connect Workshops are face-to-face networking opportunities with an audience eager to learn how to bring fiber to their communities. At this workshop, Veneeth Iyengar gave a keynote address on how Louisiana is eliminating the digital divide. March 23, 2022 Baton Rouge, La.
2022 03 22March 22, 2022	Harris visit to Louisiana underscores critical need for broadband internet access	In The News	On Monday, the same day the Senate began hearings for Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson, I dare say the most consequential speech delivered didn’t come out of Washington, D.C., but rather Sunset, Louisiana, a town of less than 3,000 people.
2022 03 22March 22, 2022	VP Harris Announces Millions For Broadband And Flood Resilience Investment In Louisiana	In The News	Vice President Kamala Harris paid a visit to Louisiana yesterday to celebrate a $30 million federal grant that will fund high-speed internet for 11 rural Acadiana communities. Speaking before a large crowd at the Sunset Community Center, Harris said funds will be used to build high-speed fiber-optic internet infrastructure for some 22,000 households in rural Acadiana whose areas do not have access to reasonable internet speeds.
2022 03 22March 22, 2022	VP Harris Promotes NTIA-Administered Broadband Funds	In The News	Vice President Kamala Harris, who was deputized by President Joe Biden to oversee universal broadband, traveled with Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves to Louisiana, where some of the billions of dollars in broadband subsidies is going. The state is also the stomping grounds of Mitch Landrieu, White House Infrastructure Coordinator.
2022 03 21March 21, 2022	VP Harris in Louisiana touting infrastructure investment for broadband in rural areas	In The News	Vice President Kamala Harris is in the Bayou State today, highlighting the need for broadband access in rural areas. Harris will be in Sunset announcing a $30-million grant for high-speed internet in Acadiana. New Orleans Congressman Troy Carter who’s accompanying Harris on her visit, says limited access to broadband discourages business investors.
2022 03 21March 21, 2022	Vice President Harris, Commerce Deputy Secretary Graves Travel to Louisiana to Highlight Historic Broadband Infrastructure Investments Coming to the State	In The News	On Monday, March 21, Vice President Kamala Harris and Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves traveled to Sunset, Louisiana, to hear directly from Louisianans about the struggles they face due to the stark digital divide and lack of access to fast, affordable, and reliable broadband.
2022 03 21March 21, 2022	'A necessity': Harris touts infrastructure investments in high-speed internet in Louisiana stop	In The News	Vice President Kamala Harris traveled to Louisiana on Monday to remind Americans that, in 2022, infrastructure involves more than roads, bridges and pipelines. It also means broadband internet.
2022 03 21March 21, 2022	Kamala Harris tours Louisiana library, promotes Internet access program	In The News	Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday touted Biden administration efforts to provide high-speed broadband Internet to rural and low-income American communities during a trip to Louisiana.
2022 03 19March 19, 2022	Both parties agree Louisiana needs broadband upgrade	In The News	Vice President Kamala Harris‘ visit to Acadiana is scheduled for Monday, March 21. She will talk about the importance of bringing broadband to rural areas. We spoke with Democratic and Republican party leaders in Louisiana about the vice president’s trip. Surprisingly, both sides agree.
2022 03 17March 17, 2022	VP Kamala Harris' visit to Acadiana to highlight broadband investment is rescheduled (again)	In The News	Vice President Kamala Harris' visit to Louisiana has been postponed again to Monday, March 21, the White House said Wednesday. Harris would have traveled Friday to Sunset to highlight the Biden administration's investments in affordable high-speed internet.
2022 03 17March 17, 2022	Wispamerica 2022	Events	Thomas Tyler spoke at Wispamerica 2022, a convention for industry leaders and fixed wireless experts, who lead a variety of informative talks and presentations. He discussed how to use partnerships between state and local governments to apply for federal funding. March 14-17, 2022 New Orleans, La.
2022 03 16March 16, 2022	Monroe, West Monroe to expand broadband services	In The News	The cities of Monroe and West Monroe are banding together to bring technology opportunities to the Twin Cities. Both municipalities have entered into an agreement with Technology for Rural America (TFRA) that will help bring enhanced broadband infrastructure and the availability of significantly better broadband services to residences, businesses, government, and institutions like schools, libraries, and healthcare providers.
2022 03 16March 16, 2022	Vice President Kamala Harris reschedules Louisiana trip again: Here's what's next	In The News	Vice President Kamala Harris has rescheduled her trip to Louisiana again, this time planning to arrive on Monday instead of Friday, according to two sources with direct knowledge of the trip.
2022 03 15March 15, 2022	Harris to Visit Louisiana, $17B in Private Broadband Investment, NY Rep Secures Broadband Funding	In The News	Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to visit Sunset, Louisiana on Friday as part of her efforts to promote the work done by the Biden administration to expand high speed broadband in rural areas, according to a report by the Advocate.
2022 03 11March 11, 2022	West Monroe, Monroe partner with company to bring broadband opportunities to unserved areas	In The News	The Twin Cities are working together to bring broadband opportunities to rural communities. Monroe and West Monroe are partnering with Technology for Rural America to explore available funding to bring enhanced broadband infrastructure to the region. They also will focus on offering significantly better broadband services to residences, businesses, government and education institutions such as schools and libraries.
2022 03 10March 10, 2022	AT&T Is Bringing Multi-Gigabit Fiber Plans to More Cities	In The News	AT&T is expanding availability for its new multi-gigabit plans to over 30 new metro areas today, the telecommunications giant said Thursday. The expansion of its "Hyper-Gig" plans comes after its rollout to 70 different metro regions in late January.
2022 03 10March 10, 2022	‘A generational opportunity’: Louisiana climate task force sets eyes on federal dollars	In The News	Louisiana is set to qualify for billions of dollars for road repairs, extreme weather preparedness, public transportation, broadband expansion and more. Another $179 billion in competitive federal funds is up for grabs to fund infrastructure projects, with special consideration for climate-focused efforts.
2022 03 08March 08, 2022	Gov. Edwards Applauds the U.S. Dept. of Commerce for Its Historic Investment in Expanding Broadband in Louisiana	In The News	Gov. John Bel Edwards joins the U.S. Dept. of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) in announcing $277 million in grants to expand broadband across communities in Louisiana and 11 other states. The Acadiana Planning Commission worked with several partners during the application process and will receive a $29.9 million grant to increase internet accessibility in Acadia, St. Landry and Evangeline parishes where over 22,000 households and 2,300 businesses lack broadband.
2022 03 08March 08, 2022	Louisiana to receive nearly $30M to expand broadband access	In The News	Louisiana will receive $29.9 million from the U.S. Department of Commerce to expand broadband access in several parishes. According to Governor John Bel Edwards, over 22,000 households in Acadia Parish, St. Landry Parish, and Evangeline Parish lack access to high-speed internet which the governor says limits their “opportunities to healthcare, education and economic competitiveness .”
2022 03 06March 06, 2022	Pandemic drove students to online learning, but many lack broadband access needed to succeed	In The News	As the pandemic swept through rural America, millions without reliable internet access at home were suddenly unable to keep up with work and school, forcing people to get creative.
2022 03 03March 03, 2022	Springtime brings broadband	In The News	It’s almost springtime and for Louisiana that means crawfish boils, baseball and gardening, but this particular spring it means we will usher in the largest economic development opportunity in the history of our state: INCREASED INTERNET CONNECTIVITY.
2022 03 03March 03, 2022	LUS Fiber Announces Expansion into Ville Platte, LA	In The News	LUS Fiber is expanding its network into Ville Platte, Louisiana, ranked as having the fifth slowest average internet rate in the U.S. according to a recent internet speed analysis conducted by HighSpeedInternet.com.
2022 03 03March 03, 2022	NTIA Broadband Programs Announce Grants to Tackle Last-Mile Infrastructure	In The News	The Broadband Infrastructure Program of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration announced this past week more than $277 million across over 13 projects primarily targeting last-mile infrastructure expected to connect 133,000 unserved households across 12 states and one U.S. territory.
2022 03 03March 03, 2022	FCC locks in key vendor for broadband map revamp	In The News	Work on broadband maps which will be used to distribute billions in federal funding can finally get underway, after a government watchdog approved the Federal Communications Commission’s selection of CostQuest Associates as a key vendor for the project.
2022 03 02March 02, 2022	COVID-19 and the Digital Divide: Implications for Policy and Equity	In The News	As many aspects of daily life transitioned online at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the impact of disparities in broadband access became stark, with many American families facing barriers to school, work, and healthcare. With federal recovery funds reaching towns, tribal nations, cities, and states, decision makers are looking for ways to ensure affordable and equitable access to broadband as a means of addressing these disparities.
2022 02 28February 28, 2022	U.S. Commerce Department sends nearly 30-million to Acadiana region to improve broadband in rural areas	In The News	The Acadiana region is set to receive nearly $30 million from the U.S. Department of Commerce to expand high-speed internet. Deputy Commerce Secretary Don Graves says the grant money comes from the Broadband Infrastructure Program. Graves says these dollars will bring broadband to 22,000 unserved households across the region.
2022 02 25February 25, 2022	Vexus Fiber Announces Plans to Build New Fiber Optic Broadband Network for the Alexandria / Pineville, LA Area	In The News	Vexus Fiber, a leading fiber service provider in Texas, Louisiana and New Mexico announced it is bringing its 100% fiber-to-the-home network to the cities of Alexandria and Pineville. Vexus Fiber will fully fund the network providing residents and businesses with symmetrical multi-gigabit speed internet service.
2022 02 25February 25, 2022	Commerce Gives Over $277 million In Grants To Build Out Broadband	In The News	The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced on Friday that it issued over $277 million in grant funding to further develop the U.S.’s broadband infrastructure, a key component in President Biden’s infrastructure goals. The sum of federal funding was divided across 13 individual grants, and will help connect over unserved homes in regions like Georgia, Guam, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington and West Virginia.
2022 02 25February 25, 2022	Department of Commerce’s NTIA Awards $277M in Grants to Expand Broadband Infrastructure	In The News	The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced today it has awarded 13 grants as part of the Broadband Infrastructure Program. These grants, totaling more than $277 million, will be used to connect more than 133,000 unserved households.
2022 02 24February 24, 2022	Cassidy Announces $29.9 Million for Broadband Expansion, Says More on the Way	In The News	U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) today announced the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) will grant Louisiana $29.9 million to increase broadband capabilities in Acadiana. This funding comes from the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, and will support the Acadiana Regional Public/Partnership project to expand broadband to more than 22k homes in the region.
2022 02 24February 24, 2022	February Newsletter	Newsletters	In 2021, we established ConnectLA and built the framework to address the digital divide in Louisiana. The time we've spent building relationships, engaging with communities and preparing for the launch of GUMBO has prepared us for 2022—our year of execution. This year, we will see the construction of projects funded by the GUMBO program and the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, as well as critical planning for the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
2022 02 22February 22, 2022	Three factors that are key to improving health equity at MedCity INVEST	Events	ConnectLA's Executive Director, Veneeth Iyengar, will be the moderator for a health equity panel in Chicago on March 30, at 10 a.m. CT. "We cannot improve what we cannot measure objectively. Information doesn’t become insight unless it is shared broadly. Deep problems cannot be solved with a go-it-alone attitude. Solving health inequity requires all of the above." Click to learn more.
2022 02 17February 17, 2022	Cities Collecting Broadband Data for Maps Ahead of FCC	In The News	Veneeth Iyengar, executive director of the Louisiana Office of Broadband and Connectivity, also shared insight into how exactly his office is addressing the unique challenges Louisiana faces due to hurricanes. According to Iyengar, his office is surveying the land south of Interstate 10 in an effort to determine where it could put infrastructure underground.
2022 02 17February 17, 2022	Fiber Broadband Association to Hold Regional Fiber Connect Workshops	In The News	The Fiber Broadband Association is launching a series of Regional Fiber Connect Workshops beginning in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on March 23, followed by Providence, Rhode Island, on April 19. Each workshop is designed to help prepare community leaders, broadband operators and public officials that are planning to deploy fiber or are already in the process of building fiber broadband infrastructure.
2022 02 17February 17, 2022	Net Inclusion 2022	Events	The National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA) Net Inclusion Conference features interactive sessions with hundreds of digital inclusion community practitioners, advocates, academics, internet service providers, and policymakers who discuss policies and policy innovations impacting digital equity and digital inclusion best practices from across the country. Feb. 15-17, 2022 Portland, Ore.
2022 02 16February 16, 2022	NTCA RTIME: States Shouldn’t Reinvent the Wheel When Preparing for Record Broadband Funding	In The News	“We’re a public start up,” said Veneeth Iyengar, executive director of broadband development for Louisiana, which really set the tone for the discussion among three state broadband office leaders. Joining Iyengar were Joshua Hildebrandt, director of broadband initiatives for Georgia and Chad Rupe, broadband program manager for Montana.
2022 02 16February 16, 2022	Aldermen pursue broadband for Gilbert	In The News	To bring broadband to Gilbert, officials are hoping for Granting Unserved Municipalities Broadband Opportunities funds. GUMBO’s purpose is to use more than $180 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to provide broadband and internet access to 400,000 Louisiana households.
2022 02 16February 16, 2022	FISPA Convention	Events	The Federation of Internet Solution Providers of the Americas (FISPA) Convention brings together those working in the telecommunications industry for conversations on business growth and collaboration within communication services. Thomas Tyler gave a speech welcoming attendees to the conference and talked about Louisiana's role in this industry moving forward. Feb. 16, 2022 New Orleans, La.
2022 02 14February 14, 2022	Ouachita Parish looks to expand broadband access, approves citizens' advisory committee	In The News	Over the next three years the state plans to use $180 million in federal funds to help internet service providers supply broadband internet service to underserved communities, and the Ouachita Parish is looking to get in on the action. The Ouachita Parish Police Jury formed a citizens advisory committee to spearhead efforts to expand broadband access in the parish at its Feb. 7 meeting.
2022 02 14February 14, 2022	The state of broadband in Louisiana and Mississippi and what policy makers can do about it	In The News	This paper examines the digital divide in both Louisiana and Mississippi using data provided by the FCC and the NTIA. It notes that while more than 90 percent of the urban population in both Louisiana and Mississippi have access to at least one provider of broadband internet, less than 65 percent of those in rural areas of both states have equivalent access.
2022 02 11February 11, 2022	NELPCO selects Conexon to design and manage construction of world-class fiber-to-the-home networks...	In The News	Rural fiber-optic network design and construction management leader, Conexon, has been selected by Winnsboro, Louisiana-based Northeast Louisiana Power Cooperative (NELPCO) to deliver comprehensive fiber broadband support services including network design, construction project management, engineering, and operations support for the electric cooperative's fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) network project. Service will be provided to NELPCO members through its fiber subsidiary, Volt Broadband.
2022 02 10February 10, 2022	Broadband Price Trends Report Finds Declining Prices from 2016 to 2021	In The News	During the period between the first quarter of 2016 to the end of last year, monthly broadband pricing decreased by almost $60 for broadband speeds of 500 Mbps or faster service, according to a new broadband price trends report from BroadbandNow. The reduction was characteristic of the direction that all pricing has gone: Down.
2022 02 07February 07, 2022	Louisiana ‘aggressively’ dedicating federal money for broadband	In The News	Louisiana is ahead of most states in its efforts to improve internet access and usage, says Jon Wilkins, a consultant and former chief operating officer for the FCC. By dedicating money from the federal American Rescue Plan Act to provide broadband infrastructure in rural areas, Louisiana will have a chance to tackle other aspects of the problem sooner, he says.
2022 02 07February 07, 2022	OPPJ set to create a Broadband Services Advisory Committee	In The News	The Ouachita Parish Police Jury debated an ordinance that would create a Broadband Services Advisory Committee at their meeting on February 7. The committee would focus on expanding reliable, affordable broadband internet service in Ouachita Parish. The seven-member panel would be appointed by members of the Police Jury.
2022 02 05February 05, 2022	Honoring Black History Month, REV Broadband premieres documentary on Whitney Plantation	In The News	In observation and honor of Black History Month, REV Broadband – the parent company of RTC, EATEL, EATEL Business, Vision Communications and VENYU – is premiering “Middle Passage to Wallace: the Whitney Plantation Museum Experience” on its local origination channels across its three markets.
2022 02 02February 02, 2022	Commerce Secretary Says Expect More Accurate Broadband Maps This Summer	In The News	Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said Tuesday that more accurate maps from the Federal Communications Commission could be on their way this summer, eventually opening the way for money to flow from infrastructure legislation signed in November.
2022 02 01February 01, 2022	New high-speed internet option coming to Westlake	In The News	Soon, an estimated 4,600 Westlake residents and business owners will have access to phone, internet and video services from Cameron Communications. Cameron Communications is a leading provider of broadband access in rural markets throughout Southwest Louisiana and Southeast Texas.
2022 02 01February 01, 2022	Funding for faster internet, airport renovations top priority for St. Landry's D.C. visit	In The News	St. Landry Parish, Bellard explained in a Monday interview, needs federal funding assistance especially for major drainage projects, parish airport improvements and broadband in rural areas where there is almost no service.
2022 02 01February 01, 2022	George Swift: Infrastructure to the forefront	In The News	"As well as hard infrastructure upgrades, the federal infrastructure bill addresses the current lack of broadband access for many in our parish and surrounding communities. Enhancing our broadband infrastructure will help alleviate a great concern in Southwest Louisiana and will attract new business, investment, and job growth."
2022 01 31January 31, 2022	SBLN 2022 Winter Summit	Events	The National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) BroadbandUSA program convenes and facilitates the State Broadband Leaders Network (SBLN), a community of practitioners who work on state broadband initiatives. At this summit, Veneeth Iyengar spoke on a panel about efficient uses of the Capital Projects Fund from the United States Treasury. Jan. 31, 2022 Washington, D.C.
2022 01 26January 26, 2022	Major investments being made in rural broadband in Louisiana	In The News	High-speed Internet is vital in today’s world. GUMBO is a program administered by Louisiana’s ConnectLA office. GUMBO provides grants to companies who provide high-speed internet to unserved and underserved areas at affordable prices for a minimum of five years. Those providers must also match at least 20% of the granted funds. On average, the first round of applicants are matching 40% of the funds granted.
2022 01 24January 24, 2022	Cameron Communications expands in Louisiana	In The News	American Broadband Holding Company subsidiary Cameron Communications announced Monday its expansion into Westlake, Louisiana where it will deploy fiber-to-the-premises services and gigabit speeds for both residents and businesses.
2022 01 24January 24, 2022	Cameron Communications announces fiber broadband expansion project to serve Westlake, LA	In The News	A leading provider of broadband access in rural markets throughout southwest Louisiana and southeast Texas, Cameron Communications’ fiber-to-the-premise (FTTP) buildout will serve residential and business customers in Westlake later this year.
2022 01 21January 21, 2022	Louisiana Ranks Third in Nation for Emergency Broadband Benefit Enrollment Rate	Blogs	Louisiana ranks third in the nation for EBB adoption, according to BroadbandNow research. More than 215,000 eligible households are receiving this benefit, representing hundreds of thousands of Louisianians with better, more affordable access to broadband.
2022 01 21January 21, 2022	Louisiana broadband officials seek help of local businesses to combat the digital divide	In The News	One of the multiple inequities highlighted by the ongoing pandemic in Louisiana was access to high-speed internet. While multiple schools and businesses have switched to remote platforms for the better part of the last two years, for thousands of Louisianans, access to the internet is still unreliable.
2022 01 20January 20, 2022	Volt discusses plans for Internet service	In The News	A number of elected officials from throughout NELPCO's footprint were in attendance at the kickoff meeting, including numerous state senators and representatives, along with parish law enforcement and local government officials, cooperative board members and interested residents.
2022 01 19January 19, 2022	Mornings with Brian Haldane: Veneeth Iyengar 1/19/2022	In The News	Executive Director of ConnectLA Veneeth Iyengar is a guest on the Brian Haldane show where they discuss all things broadband.
2022 01 19January 19, 2022	Volt holds Jan. 11 launch meeting	In The News	Volt Broadband representatives, local and statewide officials held a launch meeting Jan. 11 at the company's office in Rayville. Volt Broadband, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Winnsboro-based Northeast Louisiana Power Cooperative, plans to build out a fiber optic internet network for their customers residing and working in NELPCO's seven-parish territory footprint.
2022 01 18January 18, 2022	ConnectLA Receives Nearly $450M in Funding Requests	In The News	ConnectLA has received applications from 23 companies for the first round of the Granting Unserved Municipalities Broadband Opportunities program. The total funding request for the applications is $440 million, with $711 million in total project costs and an average of 40% of total project costs in matching funds. With applications coming from 58 parishes, this figure represents requests for broadband projects in every corner of the state.
2022 01 18January 18, 2022	Internet access on its way to unserved, underserved parts of Louisiana	In The News	As the use of technology grows, so does the digital divide for parts of underserved Louisiana communities. Police Jury President Bryan Vidrine said the people of Evangeline Parish have been trying to keep their heads above the water even before COVID-19 as the need for the internet continues to increase.
2022 01 18January 18, 2022	58 parishes apply for new GUMBO grants to bring in broadband Internet	In The News	58 parishes have applied for grants to bring broadband internet to their areas. It’s no secret that large portions of Louisiana are underserved when it comes to Internet access and connection speeds. Avoyelles state Rep. Daryl Deshotel was an architect of the so-called GUMBO Fund grants.
2022 01 18January 18, 2022	REV Broadband awards surprise donations to South Louisiana non-profits aiding communities still rebuilding and recovering from Hurricane Ida	In The News	REV Broadband – the parent company of RTC, EATEL, EATEL Business, Vision Communications and VENYU – recently sprung some seasonal surprises on a couple of non-profits who have been supporting and are continuing to aid Hurricane Ida-impacted communities since the storm’s landfall.
2022 01 17January 17, 2022	Access to high-speed internet is a problem in Louisiana. This program aims to fix it.	In The News	Louisiana’s lack of reliable, high-speed internet was underscored during the pandemic as residents worked from home and students attended virtual school. A new program from Louisiana’s Office of Broadband Development & Connectivity is trying to change that. Today on Louisiana Considered, WWNO’s Alana Schreiber spoke with Veneeth Iyengar, Executive Director of ConnectLA.
2022 01 17January 17, 2022	Volt Broadband Plans Fiber Optic Internet Network for NELPCO Customers	In The News	Volt Broadband, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Winnsboro-based Northeast Louisiana Power Cooperative, plans to build out a fiber optic internet network for their customers residing and working in NELPCO’s seven-parish territory footprint.
2022 01 14January 14, 2022	Rural parts of Louisiana may soon see dream of high-speed internet	In The News	Nearly $90 million will be granted in the first round of GUMBO funding. Awards will be announced in March with construction starting as soon as May. Additionally, ConnectLA will begin the application period for the second round of funding in July, allowing for the construction of even more broadband projects in unserved areas of Louisiana.
2022 01 13January 13, 2022	Applications from 58 Parishes for GUMBO Grants	In The News	The latest effort to bridge the digital divide delivered promising responses for round one of Louisiana’s Granting Unserved Municipalities Broadband Opportunities Fund grant program. Applications requesting more than $400 million in funding came from local governments within 58 parishes across Louisiana.
2022 01 13January 13, 2022	LUS Fiber seeking help from state grant program for $31 million in upgrades throughout Acadiana	In The News	LUS Fiber, one of the first to provide municipal fiber-to-the-home systems in the country, applied to provide nearly $31 million in work to extend services to more than 16,000 households and 3,500 businesses in Acadia, Iberia, Vermilion, St. Landry, St. Martin and Evangeline parishes and along the St. Landry economic corridor with a base speed of 10 gigabit ethernet, documents show.
2022 01 13January 13, 2022	Louisiana Unveils GUMBO, a $90M Broadband Expansion Program	In The News	Louisiana's Office of Broadband Development and Connectivity is running a new grant program called Granting Unserved Municipalities Broadband Opportunities (GUMBO). First-round grant winners will be announced in March.
2022 01 13January 13, 2022	Jim Beam column: Speed up rural internet	In The News	A USA Today analysis reported last July showed that in 33 of the state’s 64 parishes, no more than 17 percent of households actually had high-speed internet access. The Illuminator reported last October that over 400,000 households statewide don’t have high-speed internet, and the number is probably higher.
2022 01 13January 13, 2022	LUS Fiber makes $31-million bid to expand high-speed internet to rural Acadiana	In The News	LUS Fiber is the only municipally-owned internet service provider in the state, and its expansion plan will rely on $19 million from the GUMBO program, which seeks to expand broadband internet access to the nearly 450,000 Louisianans in underserved communities using $180 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds.
2022 01 12January 12, 2022	Slow internet frustrates thousands in Louisiana. Here's the $90M plan to fix it.	In The News	With $90 million to divvy up, Louisiana’s Office of Broadband Development & Connectivity received $440 million in funding requests from 23 companies in its first round of applications. The proposals, released online Wednesday, span 58 parishes and seek to provide high speed internet to 215,000 households and 14,000 businesses.
2022 01 12January 12, 2022	Connect LA’s broadband GUMBO Grant heads to review process	In The News	Connect LA is now in the selection process of reviewing applications. At the end of the process, the GUMBO Grant had over 160 applications sent in. Application requests totaled $440 million in funds for the $90 million available through the grant.
2022 01 12January 12, 2022	ConnectLA receives nearly $450 million in funding requests for first round of GUMBO	In The News	The projects will create a tremendous number of job opportunities as these projects are constructed and maintained over the next several years. Employment opportunities will extend to students throughout Louisiana, as applicants have worked with numerous technical and community colleges to develop workforce plans.
2022 01 12January 12, 2022	10 companies seek share of $90M to provide broadband in Capital Region	In The News	The 10 companies applied for projects in seven Capital Region parishes, none of which is East Baton Rouge. Iyengar says only about 2% of EBR’s population doesn’t have internet available in their area, according to FCC data, though he says that number likely is too low; state officials plan to create their own access map.
2022 01 10January 10, 2022	Louisiana Internet Coverage and Availability	In The News	When compared to the rest of the states in the US, Louisiana ranks 33rd for broadband access. Average download speeds in Louisiana are about 109.4 Mbps, which is faster than a number of higher-ranking states, including California, North Dakota, Ohio, and Hawaii. Louisiana is also slightly ahead of national averages in terms of providing affordable internet to the state’s population.
2022 01 09January 09, 2022	Work from home during COVID? In this rural suburb, sluggish internet means that's not an option	In The News	State officials have been traveling from town to town across Louisiana, talking with local leaders about how to best meet communities’ broadband needs across three areas: Access, affordability, and knowing how to best use digital tools, said Veneeth Iyengar, head of the state’s new office of Broadband Development and Connectivity.
2022 01 09January 09, 2022	Broadband Initiatives	In The News	The Louisiana Municipal Association has provided links to information about ConnectLA, broadband facts, the initiative in Louisiana and more.
2022 01 08January 08, 2022	Plans to expand broadband internet in East Feliciana reported at jury's first meeting of the year	In The News	The East Feliciana Parish Police Jury elected to join with Cable South and Swyft Fiber in applying for a grant under the Louisiana “Granting Unserved Municipalities Broadband Opportunities” program to increase broadband access in the rural areas of the state.
2022 01 04January 04, 2022	NTIA Broadband Map Project Now Has 40 State Participants	In The News	Joining the project are Nevada, Louisiana, American Samoa and Puerto Rico, bringing the total of state and territory participants to 40. The NBAM is a geographic information system (GIS) that enables visualization of broadband availability data from a variety of sources.
2021 12 26December 26, 2021	Study: Here are the best jobs for remote work in 2022	In The News	A new study ranks the best jobs for working remotely in 2022, including those that do and don't require a college degree. Meanwhile, broadband access across Louisiana varies. Even where there is access to broadband infrastructure, digital literacy and affordability remain key obstacles.
2021 12 24December 24, 2021	Digital inequality is an issue that must be addressed by Louisiana, and soon	In The News	Broadband has become a utility as essential as electricity, with technological devices a central part of Louisianans’ lives and ability to socialize, work, learn, and more. While there are 126 internet providers offering services to Louisianans, more than 260,000 people do not have access to any wired providers in their homes, and another 439,000 people only have one internet provider available.
2021 12 23December 23, 2021	Reflecting on 2021	Blogs	Can you imagine life without internet? I recently came across an article published in 2000, citing a report that the internet is a "passing fad." Of course, this seems ridiculous to us now. Especially with the pandemic, we have learned just how vital the internet is to our everyday lives, from paying bills to connecting with loved ones.
2021 12 20December 20, 2021	State senator: More broadband vital for Louisiana's rural areas	In The News	The growth of Louisiana in prosperity and quality of life for its citizens depends on basic connectivity. Presently, Louisiana’s rural communities without internet have little or no opportunity to excel and grow. Without this connectivity, we will continue to lag behind in education, economic development, medical care or relevance for our state.
2021 12 20December 20, 2021	Gulf States will get $100M to expand internet access. Here’s what they’re prioritizing	In The News	As Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi are gearing up to receive at least $100 million each to expand high speed internet access as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, a new report from Pew Trust examined how individual states fund their broadband projects.
2021 12 17December 17, 2021	Louisiana farmer leverages broadband to maintain a more efficient and competitive farming business	Blogs	Sydney McGovern from ConnectLA highlights the benefits broadband brings to Hardwick Planting Company in Tensas Parish in ConnectLA's second human impact story.
2021 12 16December 16, 2021	Emergency Broadband Benefit Recap: 7.1 Million Households Enrolled, Adoption Varies Significantly by State	In The News	The federal government launched the Emergency Broadband Benefit in February 2021 to provide low-income households with a $50 monthly discount on their internet bill as part of a multi-pronged approach to reduce the digital divide. According to the November data from the Universal Service Administrative Co, enrollment in the Emergency Broadband Benefit reached 7.1 million households.
2021 12 15December 15, 2021	West Monroe joining parish-wide effort aimed at enhancing broadband	In The News	West Monroe leaders approved taking part in a parish-wide effort aimed at enhancing broadband internet service in the area.
2021 12 15December 15, 2021	Message from the executive director	Blogs	To be one of only three states invited to speak at the National Governors Association Infrastructure Summit means a great deal to us as ConnectLA, and it should mean a great deal to all Louisianians as well. Click to read about Veneeth Iyengar's time at the NGA Infrastructure Summit.
2021 12 15December 15, 2021	Fall 2021 - BESE/Board of Regents Joint Meeting	Events	Board of Elementary and Secondary Education of Louisiana & LA Board of Regents Dec. 15, 2021 9 a.m. - 10 a.m. Claiborne Building
2021 12 14December 14, 2021	Congressman Troy Carter announces Districtwide ‘Building a Better Louisiana Infrastructure Tour’	In The News	Thanks to this bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Louisiana will get at least $7 billion in investments in roads, bridges, transit, rail, flood protection, water management, economic development, broadband deployment, and more.
2021 12 13December 13, 2021	Focus on broadband	In The News	Broadband is expanding in Acadia Parish and the hope is that, within the next five years, everyone in the parish will have access to high-speed Internet. Chance Henry, president of the Acadia Parish Police Jury, told members of the Crowley Kiwanis Club Thursday that the parish has already committed $3 million toward broadband expansion from its share of the American Rescue Plan Act COVID funding.
2021 12 10December 10, 2021	View a video message from Executive Director Veneeth Iyengar	Blogs	As our team has traveled through the state, we have heard from some folks who fear that they will miss out on broadband funding if they don't apply to or get selected for the first round of GUMBO. Do not fear!
2021 12 08December 08, 2021	Secretary of Labor on infrastructure investments for Louisiana	In The News	$380 million will go towards airports, electric vehicle charging stations, and broadband in Louisiana. Like other states, the pandemic only highlighted the digital divide in rural areas. Secretary Walsh said it’s important we help close that gap.
2021 12 03December 03, 2021	Louisiana school systems work to eliminate the digital divide: ‘It's breaking those barriers down’	Blogs	Sydney McGovern from ConnectLA highlights schools' struggles from the beginning of the pandemic to now in ConnectLA's latest human impact story.
2021 12 02December 02, 2021	Governors Discuss Infrastructure Bill Spending at Summit	In The News	In early 2020, Edwards announced his “Broadband for Everyone in Louisiana” plan that outlined coverage priority areas, the guiding principles and goals for the state’s approach to improved broadband connectivity. The state broadband office, ConnectLA, was formed to help put the plan into action.
2021 12 01December 01, 2021	Fall 2021-National Governors Association Infrastructure Summit	Events	Dec. 2 9:45 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. Building Out State Broadband Networks and Programs Annapolis, Maryland
2021 12 01December 01, 2021	Message from the executive director	Blogs	ConnectLA recognizes the importance of durable infrastructure as we anticipate future storms, which is why we attended the National Academy of Sciences' Investing in Resilient Infrastructure Workshop held in Washington, D.C.
2021 11 30November 30, 2021	Louisiana to Focus on Broadband, Roads With Federal Money	In The News	When COVID-19 pushed Louisiana and the rest of the country into remote work last spring, staying home didn't necessarily make life any easier: This swath of pine-forested hills on the toe of Louisiana's boot has very little high-speed Internet, a resource that determined how successfully people could work from home during the pandemic, national studies suggest.
2021 11 29November 29, 2021	What is EBB?	Blogs	The Emergency Broadband Benefit is a Federal Communications Commission program designed to help families and households struggling to afford internet service during the COVID-19 pandemic. Click to read more about the EBB program.
2021 11 29November 29, 2021	States plan for key role in $42.5B broadband program	In The News	State broadband leaders see opportunity for transformational change with at least $100 million coming to each state from the infrastructure law’s Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program. Louisiana’s broadband office plans to use its $100 million to bolster existing unserved support, Office of Broadband Development and Connectivity Executive Director Veneeth Iyengar told us.
2021 11 21November 21, 2021	Sorrel could be tapped for broadband internet	In The News	GUMBO stands for the Granting Underserved Municipalities Broadband Opportunities program, a program that is set up to decide how Louisiana will spend more than $180 million in federal funds, to provide broadband and internet access to 400,000 households statewide, but specifically in underserved communities.
2021 11 19November 19, 2021	Mornings with Brian Haldane: Veneeth Iyengar 11-19-21	In The News	The infrastructure package has been signed by the President, over seven billion dollars will be going to the fifty states. Veneeth Iyengar is the Louisiana State Executive Director for Broadband Development and Connectivity. Iyengar joins the show for the first interview of hour two to talk about broadband in this infrastructure package. Iyengar talks about how each parish will need different things when it comes to broadband and how that will look financially. Haldane gets a preview at what a timeline may look like to improve the state.
2021 11 18November 18, 2021	Connected Nation Live Panel Hails Progress on Digital Divide	In The News	Some citizens with theoretical access to broadband still don’t have it for myriad reasons, such as digital literacy, applications, language barrier or cost, and while some entrepreneurs are developing applications to solve some of those problems locally, they need infrastructure to launch.
2021 11 18November 18, 2021	NASEM Investing in Resilient Infrastructure Workshop	Events	Veneeth Iyengar was the only state broadband director invited to participate in the National Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine Workshop focused on infrastructure investments that will increase our resilience to disasters in the Gulf Coast. Nov. 15-18, 2021 Washington, D.C.
2021 11 17November 17, 2021	Cox Expands Internet Affordability Program	In The News	Cox Communications has enriched its affordability portfolio by expanding its low-cost internet tier, ConnectAssist. The newly expanded offering is one of Cox’s many efforts to create digital equity and is designed for low-income households who don’t qualify for Connect2Compete.
2021 11 15November 15, 2021	Important GUMBO reminders	Blogs	In an effort to be proactive and assist internet service providers and co-ops as they prepare their applications, we would like to address some important reminders.
2021 11 15November 15, 2021	Fall 2021-National Academy of Sciences workshop	Events	Nov. 15 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Keck Center, Washington, D.C. Nov. 16 9:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. Keck Center, Washington, D.C.
2021 11 12November 12, 2021	November Newsletter	Newsletters	The first GUMBO application period is now live and continues through Dec. 31. The enthusiasm and support we received was tremendous. There is a common notion that government is ineffective or doesn't move fast enough; our office works to challenge this notion every day.
2021 11 10November 10, 2021	Business in the 318: Gambling and broadband make gains	In The News	ConnectLA met Monday morning at the Bossier Parish Courthouse to visit with local community leaders to discuss broadband access.
2021 11 09November 09, 2021	Broadband funding picture gets clearer at Monroe meeting	In The News	Monroe hosted the latest stop in the road show to push broadband access across the state Monday evening, one that seemed productive, as local leaders got answers to some of their questions about helping to fund the effort.
2021 11 08November 08, 2021	No Home Left Offline	In The News	Affordability has emerged as the number one challenge to closing the digital divide. We have a historic opportunity to close two-thirds of the digital divide by connecting 18 million American households that have access to the Internet but can’t afford to connect.
2021 11 08November 08, 2021	'We are going to solve this problem,' Bossier Parish leaders discuss the digital divide	In The News	The Louisiana Office of Broadband Development and Connectivity, commonly known, as ConnectLA met Monday morning at the Bossier Parish Courthouse to visit with local community leaders on the discussion around broadband access.
2021 11 08November 08, 2021	Louisiana aims to bridge digital divide by 2029	In The News	To help bridge the digital divide, applications for Granting Unserved Municipalities Broadband Opportunities (GUMBO) grants are being accepted until Dec. 31. That program is designed to help private providers bring more accessible and affordable broadband service to areas that have download speeds of less than 25 Mbps and upload speeds lower than 3 Mbps.
2021 11 06November 06, 2021	Gov. Edwards' Statement on the Passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act	In The News	The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act was passed last week, which will provide billions to Louisiana. This money will go to building and restoring roads and bridges, improving water systems, making infrastructure more resilient to storms and expand broadband throughout the state.
2021 11 06November 06, 2021	Congress Passes Historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment in Broadband, Flood Protection, Coastal Resiliency, Roads & Bridges	In The News	Today (Nov. 5), U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the historic bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) in a bipartisan stand-alone vote separate from Democrats’ tax and spending spree.
2021 11 06November 06, 2021	Broadband funding up for grabs	In The News	If you are Gov. John Bel Edwards, you name Veneeth Iyengar as executive director of ConnectLA and task him and his team with eliminating the digital divide by 2029. That takes money and lots of it. Iyengar has eight years to bridge the digital gap and the clock is ticking. He is touring the state to inform governmental bodies and education systems of the need for broadband and how to fund it.
2021 11 05November 05, 2021	Fall 2021 - Southwest Louisiana Meetings	Events	Dequincy (Calcasieu) 10:00-11:00 City Hall Oberlin (Allen, Jefferson Davis) 1:00 – 2:00 Allen Parish Police Jury
2021 11 04November 04, 2021	Fall 2021 - Avoyelles Parish Meetings	Events	Marksville (Avoyelles, Evangeline, Pointe Coupee) 12:00 – 1:00 Paragon Casino
2021 11 04November 04, 2021	Affordability is the largest obstacle to broadband access in Louisiana, report says	In The News	More and more of the functions of daily life are based on the internet, and the gap between those with ready access to the web and those without, called the digital divide, is becoming a bigger problem every day.
2021 11 03November 03, 2021	Fall 2021 - Central Louisiana Meetings	Events	Leesville (Vernon) 8:30 – 9:30 Vernon Parish School Board Many (Sabine) 10:30 – 12:00 CDC Conference Center DeRidder (Beauregard) 2:15 – 3:15 200 South Jefferson St.
2021 11 03November 03, 2021	Iyengar: GUMBO erases "digital divide"	In The News	The Granting Unserved Municipalities Broadband Opportunities (GUMBO) program launched grant applications Nov. 1 with an aim to “eliminate the digital divide by 2029,” said Veneeth Iyengar, ConnectLA executive director. Speaking with elected officials and community leaders in Vidalia, Iyengar said his staff was moving quickly to address the lack of quality broadband in northeast Louisiana.
2021 11 03November 03, 2021	ConnectLA launches $177 million grant program to combat digital divide in rural areas	In The News	People living in rural parts of Louisiana, like many in Beauregard Parish, have problems with broadband service, but ConnectLA is working to fix some of those issues. The Louisiana Office of Broadband Development and Connectivity made a stop in Deridder Wednesday as part of their roadshow. ConnectLA is going across the state discussing rural broadband access and affordability.
2021 11 03November 03, 2021	Broadband grant program outlined	In The News	GUMBO’s purpose is to use more than $180 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to provide broadband and internet access to 400,000 Louisiana households. With GUMBO, internet providers will apply for funding, while municipal and parish governments offer support through matching funds or infrastructure.
2021 11 02November 02, 2021	Downstream Conference Panel: Infrastructure, not pandemic, has been biggest obstacle to digitalization at plant sites	In The News	Digitalization and AI technologies are more important than ever in the industrial space, but panelists at Reuters Events’ recent 2021 Downstream USA Conference in Houston say progress is being hindered by an inadequate digital infrastructure.
2021 11 01November 01, 2021	Fall 2021 - Northeast Louisiana Meetings	Events	Lake Providence Louisiana 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM Vidalia, Louisiana City Hall 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM
2021 11 01November 01, 2021	Broadband access for rural areas? Rural parishes in northeast Louisiana are aiming to be first	In The News	Harris Hall in Lake Providence hosted the first stop Monday in a road show organized by the Louisiana Office of Broadband Development and Connectivity, also called ConnectLA, for the launch of the state Granting Unserved Municipalities Broadband Opportunities (GUMBO) grant program. ConnectLA Executive Director Veneeth Iyenger said affordability is essential when it comes to the digital divide that exists in the state.
2021 11 01November 01, 2021	Broadband expansion goal of P.J.	In The News	Louisiana’s broadband office began the “Granting Unserved Municipalities Broadband Opportunities” — GUMBO — grant program when the Louisiana Legislature unanimously approved it during this year’s legislative session. Local businesses can apply for those funds starting Nov. 1 until Dec. 30. The broadband office will then review applications, which will take about 60 days. Construction of broadband infrastructure with state funds can begin around April 2022.
2021 11 01November 01, 2021	Governor John Bel Edwards announces launch of GUMBO grant program	In The News	With this $177 million program, Louisiana will fund projects that deliver reliable broadband to unserved and rural populations. The first application period opened Nov. 1. As we begin to award grants in March 2022 for deployment of projects, we will be well on our way to eliminating the digital divide by 2029. Broadband affects us all, and with the GUMBO program, we will improve the quality of life for every Louisianian.
2021 11 01November 01, 2021	East Carroll Parish Broadband Stakeholder Meeting	Events	9:30 AM Harris Hall 102 Ingram Street Lake Providence, Louisiana
2021 11 01November 01, 2021	GUMBO application period opens	Blogs	With this $177 million program, Louisiana will fund projects that deliver reliable broadband to unserved and rural populations.
2021 10 30October 30, 2021	Grants key in tackling digital divide	In The News	State and federal funds are being funneled to broadband service providers interested serving areas where people lack digital access, officials say. Veneeth Iyengar, state executive director for broadband and connectivity, has been visiting parts of Louisiana to explain what needs to be done to solve the digital divide.
2021 10 29October 29, 2021	Fall 2021 - Acadiana Meetings	Events	Abbeville (Acadia, Evangeline, Iberia, Lafayette, St. Landry, St. Martin and Vermilion parishes) 10:00 am – 11:00 am LSU Ag Center
2021 10 29October 29, 2021	GUMBO program aims to bring internet access to underserved communities	In The News	The Granting Underserved Municipalities Broadband Opportunities program designates $180 million in federal funds to provide broadband and internet access to 400,000 households statewide, specifically underserved communities. Executive Director of LA Connect or the Office of Broadband, Veneeth Iyengar, presented information on the program at the LSU Ag Center in Abbeville Friday.
2021 10 28October 28, 2021	Fall 2021 - Southeastern Louisiana Meetings	Events	Amite (Tangipahoa, Washington, St. Tammany, St. Helena, Livingston, Plaquemines and St. Bernard parishes) 11:30 am – 1:00 pm Amite Convention Center Napoleonville, Assumption Parish 6:30pm-7:30pm
2021 10 28October 28, 2021	Increasing Broadband Access	In The News	States commit state and federal dollars to address connectivity and bandwidth for the post-pandemic future.
2021 10 27October 27, 2021	October Newsletter	Newsletters	November will mark a pivotal point in the journey to eliminating the digital divide with the launch of our statewide broadband grant program known as GUMBO. As they say, success has many fathers. Together, all of you have contributed to our progress thus far, and we thank you!
2021 10 27October 27, 2021	Fall 2021 - Central Louisiana Meetings	Events	Jena (LaSalle Parish) 9:00 am – 10:00 am Choctaw Conference Facility Natchitoches (Natchitoches, Red River and Winn parishes) 11:45 am – 1:00 pm Natchitoches City Hall Pineville (Rapides, Avoyelles and Grant parishes) 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm Pineville City Hall
2021 10 27October 27, 2021	GUMBO grant program aims to break the digital divide in Louisiana	In The News	Veneeth Iyengar, the state executive director for broadband and connectivity, held a stakeholder meeting at the Pineville City Hall on October 27, 2021. The meeting was to explain the GUMBO Grant program. The Granting Unserved Municipalities Broadband Opportunities, GUMBO for short, is a grant program with $177m to be spent on increasing broadband access to unserved communities in Louisiana.
2021 10 20October 20, 2021	Link Up LIVINGston committee to launch website Oct. 25, needs people to complete internet speed tests	In The News	The Link Up LIVINGston committee, which was created over the summer to address the parish’s broadband and connectivity issues, will launch its website next week, committee members said Tuesday. “This is going to increase our quality of life here in Livingston Parish,” said Chairperson Jack Varnado. “But we need as many people to complete those speed tests as possible.”
2021 10 14October 14, 2021	Louisiana aims to boost broadband by 75% in six years	In The News	Even though Louisiana has reportedly about 400,000 to 500,000 households without broadband access, the state official in charge of broadband development said he believes that’s a lowball estimate. “This is why we have to work with a sense of urgency,” said Veneeth Iyengar, executive director of the Broadband Development and Connectivity Office.
2021 10 14October 14, 2021	State pushes for broadband expansion in rural areas	In The News	In rural parts of Louisiana, broadband services are limited or unreliable. As the digital age continues to progress, expedited by the pandemic, the need for fast and reliable broadband is great. The GUMBO program would help direct funds to providers to get them to expand their services and lower prices.
2021 10 13October 13, 2021	Fall 2021 - Executive Director Veneeth Iyengar addresses BESE	Events	Board of Elementary and Secondary Education of Louisiana Oct. 13, 2021 9 a.m. - 10 a.m. Claiborne Building
2021 10 12October 12, 2021	GUMBO Grant Program Rules Discussion October 12th 10 AM	Events	Join us for a discussion on the slight updates to the rules for the GUMBO Grant Program. Click here to view the recording.
2021 10 12October 12, 2021	State of the State with Gov. Edwards at Monroe Civic Center	In The News	Watch as Governor John Bel Edwards addresses the state in Monroe, Louisiana at the Monroe Civic Center. Here he speaks on the broadband effort in Louisiana and how we are going to eliminate the digital divide by 2029.
2021 10 08October 08, 2021	Governor John Bel Edwards addresses issues surrounding broadband	In The News	In support of National Digital Inclusion Week, we are thrilled to share this message from Governor John Bel Edwards. Addressing issues surrounding access, affordability and digital literacy will ensure that we eliminate the digital divide by 2029.
2021 10 08October 08, 2021	View a message from Gov. John Bel Edwards of Louisiana	Newsletters	In support of National Digital Inclusion Week, we are thrilled to share this message from Gov. Edwards. Addressing issues surrounding access, affordability and digital literacy will ensure that we eliminate the digital divide by 2029.
2021 10 06October 06, 2021	Dr. Kim Hunter Reed speaks on broadband in Louisiana	In The News	Commissioner of Higher Education, Dr. Kim Hunter Reed at the Louisiana Board of Regents explains the importance behind developing and retaining talent in Louisiana and supporting technology needs of our students.
2021 10 05October 05, 2021	Digital Navigator Georgia Craven Speaks on Broadband in Louisiana for Digital Inclusion Week	In The News	To continue celebrating Digital Inclusion Week, ConnectLA would like to spotlight one of our Digital Navigators, Georgia Craven of Sabine Parish. As we look to conquer the digital divide, stakeholders like Georgia will be instrumental in solving the problems we face in Louisiana. Thanks again Georgia for all that you and your team are doing!
2021 10 04October 04, 2021	Veneeth Iyengar celebrates Digital Inclusion Week with a message on Louisiana's approach to broadband	In The News	ConnectLA is joining more than 600 organizations this week to celebrate Digital Inclusion Week #DIW2021 with National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA). This week, we are recognizing the importance of digital equity for all and creating pathways to digital.
2021 09 22September 22, 2021	Grassroots Government: Bringing Broadband to Rural Louisiana	In The News	Veneeth Iyengar is the Executive Director for Broadband and Connectivity with ConnectLA. He joins the chat to discuss all the efforts the state of Louisiana is working on to bring broadband internet to all of Louisiana's residents. Their focus is on three major areas: access, digital literacy, and affordability.
2021 09 20September 20, 2021	French Louisiana Loses Jobs, Residents With Slow Broadband	In The News	For many parishes in the Acadiana region, getting adequate Internet speeds is a challenge that has impacted business and residential growth. In some parishes, 1 in 3 homes do not have any broadband access.
2021 09 19September 19, 2021	Lack of quality broadband has meant lost jobs, residents in some parts of Acadiana; Can fiber stop that slide?	In The News	The lack of broadband infrastructure hurts many small business owners in Acadiana. Over 1 out of every 3 homes St. Landry and Evangeline parishes has no broadband access, and in Acadia Parish, nearly a fourth of all businesses are located in census blocks where speeds are so slow they are classified as unserved.
2021 09 17September 17, 2021	September Newsletter	Newsletters	Check in on ConnectLA’s progress. Read more about our reaction to Hurricane Ida, changes to the GUMBO application period and our digital navigators roundtable.
2021 08 30August 30, 2021	Infrastructure Bill Passed by Senate Includes Historic, Bipartisan Broadband Provisions	In The News	The $1.2 trillion infrastructure deal passed by the Senate includes $65 billion in funding for broadband initiatives throughout the state. Pew continues to provide research and resources to help lawmakers craft broadband policies that will work. Pew established its Broadband Education and Training Initiative to provide no-cost support to 17 states as they expand broadband programs, including LA.
2021 08 27August 27, 2021	Broadband Resources Webinar recording	Events	Click to watch the recording of ConnectLA’s Broadband Resources Webinar
2021 08 26August 26, 2021	Meet the team	Newsletters	Meet the people behind the effort to eliminate the digital divide by 2029.
2021 08 26August 26, 2021	Louisiana lawmakers push policy to expand broadband access in state	In The News	The Louisiana Legislature has moved quickly to pass measures to expand broadband programs in the state, including acts to create the Office of Broadband and Connectivity and establish a Broadband for Everyone in Louisiana initiative to increase broadband speeds. These moves are crucial in a state where 25% of households have no internet and 42% lack broadband.
2021 08 26August 26, 2021	LFBF Hosts New House Congressional Staffers on August Recess Ag Tour	In The News	Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation’s Commodity Department team partnered with the LSU AgCenter to provide House agriculture staffers a tour of Louisiana to hear directly from farmers. This tour included a stop in Rosedale, La. for a roundtable on rural broadband. The group was joined by Veneeth Iyengar, executive director for the Louisiana Office of Broadband Development and Connectivity.
2021 08 25August 25, 2021	Louisiana lawmakers push policy to expand broadband access in state	In The News	The Louisiana Legislature is moving quickly on initiatives to elevate broadband access, affordability and digital literacy to Louisiana residents. The Legislature, Office of the Governor, ConnectLA and the Federal Communications Commission are all working together to provide support for local governments to tackle their broadband issues.
2021 08 23August 23, 2021	Emergency Rules Webinar recording	Events	Click to watch the recording of ConnectLA’s Emergency Rules Webinar.
2021 08 21August 21, 2021	Broadband Commission meeting discusses eliminating digital divide in Louisiana by 2029	In The News	Executive Director Veneeth Iyengar spoke to attendees at a Broadband Commission meeting on Aug. 20, in Natchitoches Parish regarding broadband funding options and what efforts are being made at the state level.
2021 08 20August 20, 2021	ConnectLA - Bringing Broadband To Rural Louisiana	In The News	Executive Director Veneeth Iyengar speaks to Chuck Smith of Red River Radio about state and local efforts to increase digital broadband access in the Natchitoches region and other rural areas in Louisiana.
2021 08 18August 18, 2021	August Newsletter	Newsletters	Read about ConnectLA’s progress, including the release of the GUMBO grant process, our travels throughout the state and the resources we provide to local governments.
2021 08 13August 13, 2021	What the federal infrastructure bill means for Louisiana	In The News	If passed, the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will prioritize public works spending on projects such as highways, drainage and flood mitigation, broadband service, coastal restoration and weatherization.
2021 08 12August 12, 2021	New survey shows teens believe reliable broadband is a key driver of equity and opportunity	In The News	A new survey by National 4-H Council, the Harris Poll, and the 4-H Tech Changemakers coalition found that teens believe disparities in access to high-speed internet and digital skills continue to drive economic and social inequities in their communities nationwide. These findings show the profound impact broadband can have on the lives and futures of American teens.
2021 08 12August 12, 2021	GUMBO Grant Rules	Newsletters	ConnectLA announces the Emergency Rule for applying to the Granting Unserved Municipalities Broadband Opportunities grant program.
2021 08 10August 10, 2021	Gov. Edwards and DOTD Praise U.S. Senate for Passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act	In The News	The bipartisan infrastructure act passed by the Senate allocates $5.8 billion to Louisiana over the next five years. This includes $100 million that will help to eliminate the digital divide in our state and solve a portion of our broadband access challenges.
2021 08 03August 03, 2021	Quick Take with Veneeth Iyengar	In The News	In this episode of Ellevate Louisiana's Quick Take we catch up with Veneeth Iyengar, Executive Director of Broadband Development and Connectivity for the State of Louisiana, on how the state is doing in its quest to provide statewide broadband.
2021 08 03August 03, 2021	Universal broadband coverage could add $160B annually to US economy	In The News	Universal high-speed internet could add $160 billion per year to the US economy, according to a new study conducted by The Aspen Economic Strategy Group.
2021 08 02August 02, 2021	Senate introduces bipartisan infrastructure bill with billions for broadband	In The News	Investments in broadband ensure that Americans can work, access education and receive health care remotely. In addition to bolstering broadband infrastructure, the funding allocated to broadband will also help make broadband service more affordable by requiring companies receiving federal subsidies to offer low-cost service plans.
2021 08 01August 01, 2021	Broadband Access Still A Struggle for Tribal Colleges and Universities, 18 Months Into the Pandemic	In The News	According to the Federal Communications Committee, 68% of Americans living on rural tribal lands don’t have access to broadband. This poses major problems to students, faculty and staff of Tribal Colleges and Universities as they continue to navigate virtual learning.
2021 07 30July 30, 2021	Broadband Toolkit release	Newsletters	Learn more about ConnectLA’s mission and the work we’ve done in our first 100 days.
2021 07 29July 29, 2021	Veneeth Iyengar from the Office of Broadband & Connectivity of the State of Louisiana	In The News	PodBean talks with Veneeth Iyengar about the needs to get broadband Internet to the rural areas of Louisiana and what his office is tasked to do to make it happen.
2021 07 29July 29, 2021	A breakdown of the $1T bipartisan infrastructure package and what it provides for Louisiana	In The News	The proposed infrastructure package provides billions of dollars to Louisiana infrastructure. U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy called it “the largest investment in roads, bridges, broadband, and our coastline in the history of our state.”
2021 07 26July 26, 2021	Bridging the broadband gap in wake of COVID-19	In The News	Johns Hopkins University highlights alumnus Veneeth Iyengar and his position as the director of broadband development and connectivity for Louisiana. He speaks about connectivity during COVID-19, flexibility, listening, and solving problems.
2021 07 21July 21, 2021	The digital opportunity gap in Louisiana	In The News	There are 155,158 unemployed individuals in Louisiana, of which at least 51,202 lack foundational digital skills. These individuals may not even begin to compete for an estimated 84,366 or 70.9% of job openings which require such skills.
2021 07 20July 20, 2021	Acadiana Broadband Assessment 2021	In The News	Broadband access in Louisiana is a complex tale of “haves” and “have-nots.” Regionally, Acadiana is home to both the internationally known LUS Fiber in Lafayette and the 5th slowest Internet in the country in Ville Platte. According to HighSpeedInternet.com, Louisiana is the “38th most connected state” in reference to broadband with a total of 36 Internet providers in the state. These disparities necessarily indicate a wide variety of services that are available. However, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, about 22 percent of Louisiana households do not have access to the Internet and in six parishes about half of the households lack access to the Internet. As indicated by the broadband assessment results discussed in the full report, significant efforts need to be made to provide more connectivity to broadband.
2021 07 20July 20, 2021	Chamber of Commerce Hosts Mayor Waites & State Executive Director of Broadband & Connectivity Veneeth Iyengar	In The News	The city of Baker, Louisiana Mayor Darnell Waites and the Executive Director of the Office of Broadband and Connectivity Veneeth Iyengar meet to talk about technology, infrastructure and the future of technology for the city of Baker.
2021 07 12July 12, 2021	More Louisiana residents needed to take this quick broadband speed test	In The News	The Monroe and West Monroe-West Ouachita chambers of commerce encourage Louisiana residents to take the Delta Regional Authority broadband speed test to help communities get grants and other support to improve broadband services.
2021 07 08July 08, 2021	In Louisiana, many still lack broadband access despite availability in area	In The News	In 33 Louisiana parishes, broadband access is available to at least 72% of residents, according to the Federal Communications Committee. But in about half of the state, no more than 17% of households have high-speed access, a USA TODAY analysis shows.
2021 06 30June 30, 2021	Veneeth Iyengar Talks Broadband Access In Louisiana	In The News	Veneeth Iyengar talks about where Louisiana ranks with the rest of the country and why the state is so far behind in terms of broadband. The state has received 90 million dollars from the American Rescue Plan for this project and Veneeth explains when the project will begin and some of the major areas of concern in the state.
2021 06 22June 22, 2021	Louisiana planning $180M broadband internet expansion effort	In The News	Louisiana sets out to spend $180 million over three years on grants to telecommunication firms that construct broadband internet infrastructure in underserved communities, to lessen the digital divide exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic. With $180 million, up to 145,000 households could become connected to high-speed internet
2021 06 16June 16, 2021	Rep. Bagley Introduces Constituents to LA’s New Broadband Director	In The News	On June 10, Representative Larry Bagley held several town hall meetings across DeSoto Parish to introduce the new Louisiana Office of Broadband and Connectivity Executive Director, Veneeth Iyengar. He was joined by Sen. Gerald Long as the two explained what the Louisiana Broadband service was about, with the infrastructure, access and affordability for residents of the state.
2021 06 16June 16, 2021	Fall 2021 - BESE/Board of Regents Joint Meeting	Events	Board of Elementary and Secondary Education of Louisiana & LA Board of Regents June 16, 2021 9 a.m. - 10 a.m. Claiborne Building
2021 06 10June 10, 2021	'The internet failed them': Louisiana plans $180M investment for broadband in rural areas	In The News	When the coronavirus pandemic struck, and society turned to technology to stay connected, the rural town of Ville Platte was disadvantaged with some of the slowest internet speeds in the nation. To aid Louisiana communities like Ville Platte, the state plans to dole out $180 million in grants to telecommunication firms over the next three years.
2021 05 26May 26, 2021	Bill to bring broadband access statewide passes through La. Senate committee	In The News	A bill to establish the Granting Unserved Municipalities Broadband Opportunities program passed a Louisiana Senate committee. The legislation would use over $180 million in federal funds to provide broadband and internet access to 400,000 households in Louisiana, leading to better access to healthcare, education and quality jobs.
2021 04 16April 16, 2021	The Lewis Latimer Plan: A National Urban League Approach to Digital Equity	In The News	Access to high-speed internet is more than the ability to quickly find and share information. It's access to job applications, medical care, financial management resources, and online classes. The digital divide exacerbated by COVID-19 lockdowns disproportionately impacted African-Americans, people of color, those in rural America, and low-income families.
2021 04 15April 15, 2021	How fast is your internet? Take an online test to help map Louisiana to make it faster	In The News	The Delta Broadband Mapping Project speed test is used to identify regions where broadband infrastructure needs to be invested in to make telehealth, distance learning and remote work a reality for residents. Take the speed test to help Louisiana accurately identify digital divides and allocate resources.
2021 04 07April 07, 2021	With millions in funds available, Louisiana officials push for fiber internet in Acadiana	In The News	The Acadiana Planning Commission is leading the charge to use millions of dollars in federal funds for high-speed internet infrastructure in Acadiana’s smaller towns where internet services lag.
2021 04 06April 06, 2021	Here's how Louisiana's new broadband official plans to take on state connectivity	In The News	In Veneeth Iyengar’s new role as executive director of broadband, he is Louisiana’s lead coordinator for addressing challenges around broadband accessibility and affordability. He said broadband development and connectivity is vital to boosting statewide economic competitiveness, including everything from agriculture to health care.
2021 02 26February 26, 2021	Gov. Edwards announces the first executive director for Broadband Development and Connectivity	In The News	Governor John Bel Edwards has appointed Veneeth Iyengar to serve as the first Executive Director of Broadband Development and Connectivity for the state of Louisiana. Gov. Edwards said that Iyengar’s unique and entrepreneurial balance of private and public sector skills will serve as an asset in building this office and addressing how we can serve the broadband needs of all Louisianians.

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