Connecting All Missourians to Affordable Broadband

In the creation of its Initial Proposals Volume 1 and  Volume 2 for Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program funding, the Missouri Office of Broadband and Development (OBD) laid out three goals. In its first goal, OBD recognizes the need for high-quality, affordable broadband for all residents in the state. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are over 687,000 Missouri households (28% of all households) with income less than $35,000 per year.​ Missouri's Digital Opportunity Plan further reports that cost is the primary reason why Missourians do not have broadband Internet access. Below, we take a look at how Missouri's BEAD Initial Proposals plan to ensure low-cost broadband service for all Missourians.