Louisiana first to sign BEAD grant agreements, advancing broadband deployment statewide
Louisiana has taken another major step toward statewide high-speed internet access, becoming the first state in the country to sign Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) grant agreements with internet service providers.
The first BEAD grant agreements in Louisiana include 39,853 locations to be built by national and local providers.
These agreements build on Louisiana’s ongoing progress expanding broadband access across the state. Currently, 93% of Louisiana households and businesses are served, and the state remains on pace to achieve statewide high-speed internet access by 2028, two years ahead of the federal 2030 goal.
In November, Louisiana became the first state in the nation to receive federal approval of its final BEAD proposal, clearing the way to deploy $1.36 billion in federal broadband funding. That approval positioned Louisiana to move quickly from planning to execution and begin delivering BEAD-funded projects on the ground.
These projects are expected to break ground in the coming weeks. The remaining seven internet service providers are also expected to sign grant agreements soon, allowing work to begin shortly thereafter.