Major Federal Investment in Broadband Expansion and New Digital Literacy Pilot Programs Announced by Louisiana Governor

On July 25, 2022, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards was joined by state lawmakers, locally elected leaders in Louisiana, and Higher Education Commissioner Kim Hunter Reed to announce a $130 million investment from the America Rescue Plan to bring more affordable and accessible internet to over 66,000 households and small businesses in 50 parishes via Internet Service Providers. Granting Unserved Municipalities Broadband Opportunities, Louisiana’s broadband grant program was used to submit applications for the first phase of the grant (GUMBO).

The total investment from the American Rescue Plan is $176 million, of which $130 million is announced today for this first phase. Parishes that were not selected in the first round will be given another chance to participate in the program. To see a list of parishes, go to www.connect.la.gov.

Today’s announcement builds on the important groundwork laid by Louisiana Governor Edwards in 2019 when he signed an executive order establishing the Broadband for Everyone Louisiana Commission with the goal of closing the digital divide by 2029.

“We learned a great deal from the pandemic about how critical it is to have high-speed internet in Louisiana,” said Louisiana Governor Edwards. “With today’s announcement we are one step closer to reaching our goal of eliminating the digital divide in the next seven years. However, we are not just stopping here. We have another $43 million in funds from the ARP we will award by October, and we are expecting an additional significant amount of federal funds from the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that will be awarded next year to continue to address access, affordability and literacy.”

Governor Edwards established the ConnectLA Office of Broadband Development and Connectivity in 2020, which is led by Executive Director Veneeth Iyengar.

“Today culminates all of the hard work that our stakeholders (teacher, parents, small business owners, public safety, parish officials etc.) have given towards addressing the digital divide,” said Executive Director Iyengar. “These investments will not only address the access issues but will create hundreds and thousands of good paying jobs that will impact people’s trajectory in their communities.”

To address the estimated 462,000 Louisianians who lack basic digital literacy skills, ConnectLA, the Louisiana Board of Regents, the Louisiana Department of Education, and the State Library of Louisiana have collaborated to establish pilot programs in multiple parishes with the goal of reducing digital illiteracy by 50% over five years. Dr. Kim Hunter Reed, Commissioner of Higher Education, announced today the launch of five Digital Literacy & Inclusion Pilot sites embedded in rural and urban library branches.

The pilot sites are intended to improve not only access to high-speed digital resources, but also the overall computer and internet literacy of people who live near those library locations. East Carroll, Jefferson, Livingston, Rapides, and West Feliciana parishes are home to the five Digital Literacy & Inclusion Pilot sites.

Each site will receive $20,000 to assess its community’s digital literacy needs and provide instructional opportunities like skills assessment, self-directed online learning, and digital skill building. These activities will be carried out by a team of 55 professional librarians and staff members who have been designated as Digital Navigators (DNs). To ensure the successful launch of each program’s activities, DNs for the pilot sites have already completed more than 11 hours of training through the National Digital Inclusion Alliance and Northstar Digital Literacy.

Broadband availability and affordability are inextricably linked to improved outcomes in education, healthcare, economic development, and other areas. Federal funds from the American Rescue Plan and the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will help Louisiana address many of its broadband challenges.

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