Louisiana broadband office is improving communities statewide

March 29 marked five years in Louisiana’s effort to close the digital divide. In 2021, more than 375,000 households, small businesses, and essential community institutions such as hospitals, libraries, and schools lacked reliable internet service, affecting more than one in four Louisianans. As executive director of the Louisiana State Broadband Office, I am proud to work with a small but highly effective team united by a single mission: connecting every community in our state to reliable, affordable, high-speed internet. Louisiana is now nationally recognized for both its progress and its approach to expanding broadband access. We are not only meeting our infrastructure goals but also doing so ahead of schedule and under budget. Thanks to the competitive funding framework we developed, Louisianians in federally funded areas are now saving 30 to 40 percent each month on broadband service. Over the past five years, we have visited more than 100 communities. We have heard stories of frustration about fiber lines stopping at the main road and sky-high costs for mediocre service, especially in rural areas. Those conversations are starting to change. Now, when we visit communities, we hear from law enforcement about quicker response times to urgent calls and from health care providers about how reliable connectivity is improving patient care.

[Veneeth Iyengar is the executive director of Louisiana’s Office of Broadband Development and Connectivity]