Minority Universities Receive Funding to Bring Broadband to Surrounding Areas

The National Telecommunication and Information Administration (NTIA) awarded Connecting Minority Communities (CMC) Pilot Program grants to Grambling State University, Southern University and A&M College, Southern University Law Center and Southern University at New Orleans (SUNO). The funding for this two-year program will provide a variety of broadband services for universities and their anchor communities. With $3 million in funding, SUNO will install towers on campus buildings to expand broadband to the immediate area, as well as purchase 400 Wi-Fi units for families in the community. SUNO will also build a mobile Wi-Fi vehicle to provide broadband service during power outages. In addition to addressing infrastructure needs on campus, SUNO plans to improve digital literacy in the neighboring community. SUNO wasn't the only university given funding to address disparities in broadband access in its community. Grambling State University also received a CMC grant of $2.2 million. For students and faculty, lack of internet access has created difficulties in learning environments. Through the grant, the university will provide 600 students with mobile hotspots for one year. Along with improving broadband access on campus, the university will establish a laboratory to support telemedicine conferencing.