Submitted by United States Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana
WASHINGTON (November 18, 2024) – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) and Governor Jeff Landry announced Louisiana is the first state in the nation to award federal Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) funding through the state’s GUMBO 2.0 program. The state will deploy $1.355 billion in total through these awards to support broadband access throughout the state. GUMBO 2.0 will expand fiber optic connectivity to approximately 140,000 locations across the state, supporting 100,000 households, 35,000 small businesses, and 4,000 community anchor institutions such as public safety locations, schools, and hospitals. These broadband investments will drive significant economic growth for the state, creating 8,000 to 10,000 new jobs and $2 to $3 billion in new revenue for Louisiana companies.
“Access to high-speed internet is essential for every small business owner, student, and worker, and Louisiana is taking the lead in addressing this need,” said Dr. Cassidy. “I’m proud to have played a key role in securing this funding and grateful to Governor Landry and our state’s swift action in putting $1.35 billion to work.”
“Louisiana is driving broadband for the rest of the country and delivering concrete, tangible results,” said Governor Landry. “This historic investment in our state’s broadband infrastructure will transform communities across Louisiana, providing the connectivity our residents need to thrive in the modern economy. I want to thank the Louisiana Office of Broadband Development and Connectivity for their leadership in ensuring all Louisianians benefit from this great investment.”
“Under Governor Landry’s leadership, Louisiana is tackling our digital divide head-on with both speed and precision as we cement our status as the national leader in broadband deployment,” said Veneeth Iyengar, ConnectLA executive director. “The impact of this funding will ripple across every corner of our state, with all Louisianians having access to reliable high-speed internet that transforms how we access healthcare, pursue education and participate in our economy.”
Background
Last year, Cassidy announced the state would receive the $1.35 billion and has been supportive of the governor’s work to implement the funding. In August, Cassidy and Landry announced the launch of the GUMBO 2.0 broadband program which will put into action a $1.35 billion investment that Cassidy secured in the IIJA. Only six other states, all of which have a larger population than Louisiana, have received more funding from IIJA for broadband.
The funding comes from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program. The BEAD Program provided $42.45 billion to expand high-speed Internet access by funding planning, infrastructure deployment, and adoption programs.
While negotiating the bill, Cassidy pushed for a fair broadband formula that would benefit Louisiana’s needs and ensure the funding was directed to areas that lacked access to high-speed internet. The formula is based on the number of unserved and underserved broadband recipients in each state as determined by updated broadband internet coverage maps.
Last week, Cassidy announced NTIA will grant Louisiana an additional $12,727,887.98 to improve access to high-speed affordable internet from IIJA. Learn more here.
