Commerce Department Invests $80 Million in Louisiana Broadband

The Commerce Department announced an $80 million broadband investment in Louisiana on Friday morning, during a conference call hosted by Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA). The investment will make more affordable high-speed Internet access for 100,000 households, 15,000 businesses and 1,200 anchor institutions such as libraries and public safety offices. The money will help the state expand broadband throughout 3,500 square miles that includes 12 impoverished parishes, many of which didn't even have phone service a few years ago, said Sec Locke.

The Louisiana Broadband Alliance, collaboration among six state agencies, plans to deploy more than 900 miles of fiber-optic network to expand broadband Internet service in some of the most economically distressed regions of Louisiana. The new network intends to provide direct connections for more than 80 community anchor institutions including universities, K-12 schools, libraries, and healthcare facilities. The 3,488-square-mile service area includes 12 impoverished parishes targeted by the state's Louisiana Delta Initiative and a separate five-parish area that is home to four federally-recognized American Indian Tribes. The new network would connect to the Louisiana Optical Network Initiative (LONI), a more than 1,600 mile fiber-optic network that connects Louisiana and Mississippi research universities to National LambdaRail and Internet2.