Biden-Harris Administration Awards $2.9 Million to Louisiana in First of "Internet for All" Planning Grants

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration announced that Louisiana is the first state to receive planning grants for deploying high-speed Internet networks and developing digital skills training programs under the Biden-Harris Administration’s Internet for All initiative. Louisiana is receiving $2,941,542.28 in funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Louisiana will receive $2 million from the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program to fund:  

• Identification of unserved and underserved locations; 
• Outreach to diverse stakeholders across all entities and geographies within the state; 
• Training for employees of the broadband program; 
• Asset mapping across the Eligible Entity to catalog broadband adoption, affordability, equity, access and deployment activities; 
• Surveys of unserved, underserved, and underrepresented communities to better understand barriers to adoption; 
• Efforts to support local coordination including capacity building at the local and regional levels. 

In addition, Louisiana will receive $941,542.28 from the State Digital Equity Planning Grant Program to fund:

• Development of a Statewide Digital Equity Plan;  
• Hiring of a Digital Equity/Inclusion Specialist who will create and execute the state digital equity strategy;  
• Partnerships with a consortium of our higher education institutions; 
• Engagements with the National Digital Inclusion Alliance to provide direct advice and best practices.