Louisiana

In the event of an emergency, every second matters. Gov Jeff Landry (R-LA) recently emphasized that though first responders are ready to answer the call, they need access to reliable technology to communicate effectively. Louisiana is working quickly and efficiently to ensure its communities do not fall behind when it comes to technology and infrastructure. Through federal partnerships and with the help of President Trump and the congressional delegation, Louisiana is making significant progress in bringing reliable connectivity to communities that have gone without it for too long.

Gov Jeff Landry (R-LA), ConnectLA, REV Fiber, state and local leaders, and community members joined in Central for a groundbreaking celebrating the country's largest broadband build to date, funded by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program. The project will be delivered by REV Fiber, providing reliable, high-speed internet access to 2,840 locations in East Baton Rouge Parish.

Louisiana continues to reach significant milestones while expanding broadband access across the state, with new Federal Communications Commission data highlighting the state's continued progress in bringing reliable connectivity to all communities. The latest FCC Broadband Data Collection data, which reflects broadband availability as of December 2025, shows significant growth in Louisiana's broadband access over the past six months. During that timeframe, more than 52,000 homes and businesses gained access to broadband statewide.

ConnectLA is taking a proactive approach to permitting coordination to help broadband projects move efficiently from planning to construction. By being intentional and well-prepared in the permitting process, projects are able to move forward more efficiently, helping Louisiana reach full coverage by 2028, if not sooner. Since March, ConnectLA has hosted more than 150 permitting coordination and outreach events, engaging nearly 600 permitting agency contacts.

Veneeth Iyengar, executive director of ConnectLA, has been appointed to the Louisiana Rural Health Transformation Program Advisory Council by Gov. Jeff Landry (R-LA). The advisory council was created as a result of Gov. Landry’s executive order signed in April, establishing the Office of Rural Health Transformation and Sustainability within the Louisiana Department of Health, advancing efforts to strengthen health care access and outcomes for rural communities across the state.

By completing the National Environmental Policy Act review process for broadband projects covering over 50,000 serviceable locations, Louisiana has made significant progress in its effort to deliver high-speed, reliable internet access across the state. Louisiana is first in the nation to complete NEPA approvals for Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment projects, and internet service providers have reached yet another milestone in helping bring high-speed internet to unserved and underserved communities across the state.

Broadband construction in Louisiana is advancing and moving quickly, with construction for nearly 15,000 broadband serviceable locations projected to be complete by the end of the first quarter of 2027 across 23 parishes. Nearly 1,800 miles of fiber are being deployed across the state to help Louisiana create the infrastructure needed to connect more communities and expand economic opportunities.

Louisiana has crossed the $100 million mark in GUMBO 1.0 infrastructure payments—a major milestone in the state's broader effort to achieve full statewide broadband coverage by 2028, two years ahead of the federal goal. Funded by the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Capital Projects Fund, ConnectLA has distributed $102,308,955 to participating internet service providers, representing 83.9 percent of total GUMBO 1.0 awards.

At ConnectLA, we believe transparency and accountability are essential components of any publicly funded infrastructure program. This is particularly true for broadband deployment, where we have a once-in-a-lifetime, urgent mandate to connect our entire nation—and, for us, our entire state of Louisiana—to high-speed internet. From the first dollar spent to the final connection made, taxpayers deserve to understand how their investment is being delivered.

Conexon Connect submitted compliance reports for Rural Digital Opportunity Fund locations in Mississippi, Florida, Missouri, Louisiana, Kentucky, Colorado, Arizona, Tennessee, and Illinois. Conexon Connect delayed its RDOF buildout in some states until state broadband offices finalized Broadband, Equity, Access & Deployment (BEAD) Program funding decisions. This delay, the company believes, was prudent because Conexon Connect’s network would require modification to account for any new BEAD-funded areas.