Mississippi

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.

SpaceX is offering discounts for Starlink internet plans in Memphis, Tennessee, as thecompany endures blowback and legal challenges from opponents of its data centers in the area and neighboring Mississippi. Customers that opt in will be able to access Starlink service plans for half the monthly price, which can range from $55 to $130 per month. The discount can be shared with friends and family.

Access to reliable, affordable internet services is essential for the education, health care, and economic success of rural Mississippi families. Yet Children’s Defense Fund’s Southern Regional Office and the Mississippi Broadband Equity Coalition raise new questions about whether the full level of federal broadband investment promised to Mississippi communities and families will be received. Mississippi communities and families deserve clear answers and a real plan for how their tax dollars are being spent. We call on Governor Reeves to provide:

C Spire announced the completion of its allocation of the Mississippi Capital Projects Fund. Through this initiative, the company provided home fiber access to more than 14,000 residences and 18,530 undeveloped lots from Amite to Lincoln to Lamar to Madison to Desoto and Hinds counties. It also positively impacted some of the most underserved communities in Mississippi. C Spire was awarded the grant from the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Capital Projects Fund.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) at the U.S. Department of Commerce has approved 50 out of 56 Final Proposals from states and territories to ensure universal broadband access through the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program. “I am thrilled to announce that NTIA has approved 50 out of 56 Final BEAD Proposals,” said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator Arielle Roth.

In addition to rolling back unnecessary restrictions, the Trump administration has changed the way Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment funds will be spent. Because of this, many states’ proposals will come in under budget. These states could actually end up with leftover funds from the 2021 broadband legislation. In that law, Congress was clear: States can use this remaining grant money. That policy rewards those who wisely stewarded their deployment funds. It could also help states maximize the impact of the 2021 law—if we direct the funds wisely.

More than 36 Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program draft final proposals have been released by states and territories. In these plans, each state is deciding how to connect its un- and underserved locations before submitting its final proposals to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) for approval. Through these draft final proposals, we are seeing how states have adjusted their broadband deployment activities as a result of the BEAD Program restructuring and the Benefit of the Bargain application round.

The Broadband Expansion and Accessibility of Mississippi (BEAM) released its Draft Final Proposal for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program. BEAM will accept public comments for seven days (August 27 - September 3, 2025) before submitting the Final Proposal to NTIA for approval. Mississippi's BEAD allocation is 

$1,203,561,563. BEAM is planning to bring broadband service to 

The University of Mississippi Medical Center is proof that when Mississippi talent meets modern technology, there’s no limit to what can be achieved. And nowhere is that more clear than at the Center for Telehealth. UMMC’s telehealth program has become a national model, showing how broadband can deliver quality, life-saving care straight into people’s homes, whether they’re down the road or five counties over. For many Mississippians, this kind of access isn’t a luxury, it’s a lifeline. That’s why I’m here.