Gov. Jeff Landry held a press conference Monday to announce a $1.35 billion investment aimed at expanding internet access across the state.
The Granting Unserved Municipalities Broadband Opportunities (Gumbo) 2.0 program will provide funding to construct underground fiber optic cables that will bring broadband to much of the state, particularly rural communities.
“This is the best foundational opportunity that Louisiana has to creating great jobs, to improving our education, to helping our law enforcement officers be safer, quicker,” Landry said.
It's projected to bring between 8,000 and 10,000 new jobs and increase the state's GDP by $1.3 billion. Landry also said the program will help over 26,000 small businesses and 4,000 civic institutions such as schools and local governments.
“This impacts Main Street, not Wall Street,” he said, before touting the program as the first step in moving Louisiana to a “new industrial South.”
According to Dr. Ralph Abraham, Louisiana’s surgeon general, the money will improve public health by giving health clinics faster internet service and expanding access to telehealth services in rural communities.
“This is literally a gift that has been laid in our laps,” said Abraham. “We can make a dent in those populations. “
The money comes from the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, part of the Biden-Harris administration’s “Internet for All” initiative.
Veneeth Lyengar, the executive director of Louisiana’s Office of Broadband and Connectivity, or ConnectLA, said most of the early execution will revolve around allocating the grant money to Internet Service Providers (ISPs) such as AT&T and Cox Communications, and a multitude of smaller companies. Gumbo 1.0, the previous program that awarded $170 million in grant money, had18 applications.
“This time we have nearly double that, we have 33 different ISPs,” said Lyengar.
Lyengar also said there are nearly 140,000 eligible locations across Louisiana marked for broadband service.
Created by Marksville Rep. Daryl Deshote in 2020 during the Edwards administration, ConnectLA, appears to be a bright spot for the state. Landry said the office’s early success is the reason Louisiana became the first state to be approved for federal funding.
“This is where Louisiana is first in the nation,” said Landry said. “I’m convinced we are going to beat all the other states in being able to get this money implemented in the most effective and efficient way possible.”
However, the massive project presents potential issues for communities, including the risk of subcontractors damaging underground pipes and cables during construction. During Gumbo 1.0, Swfyt Fiber admitted to striking underground infrastructure eight times while constructing 1,300 miles of fiber optic line due to inaccurately marked pipes and cables.
Landry said the best way to prevent issues like that from happening would be to work with local governments to create a mapping system of underground utilities. However, many ISPs may push back against revealing their data to the public.
“Where are the water lines, where are the sewer lines? This gives us an opportunity to reboot where our vital infrastructure is in the state,” Landry said.
Another potential hurdle is the exorbitant cost of building fibers in certain remote areas. In that case, Lyengar indicated they would implement other technologies such as low Earth orbit satellites and fixed wireless.
“The governor wants to drive fiber as far and deep into the state as possible.” said Lyengar. “It's the equivalent of making I-49, and I-20 a 20-lane concretized highway. That's the goal.”