Mississippi

Thanks to Congress’ work on the infrastructure law, America has the funding to make internet coverage reliable nationwide. Where broadband goes, economic growth and educational opportunity follow. But despite the federal government’s efforts, including decades of work and billions of dollars, too many Americans still lack reliable connection, an unacceptable fact in today’s digital world. The problem boils down to bureaucratic disorganization. Today, over 100 separate initiatives, managed by 15 individual federal agencies, have been deployed to address the digital urban-rural divide.

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) approved Mississippi and South Dakota’s Initial Proposals for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program. This approval enables Mississippi and South Dakota to request access to funding and begin implementation of the BEAD program—a major step towards closing the digital divide and meeting the President’s goal of connecting everyone in America with affordable, reliable, high-speed Internet service. This action allows states to request:  

Governor Tate Reeves announced that the Office of Broadband Expansion and Accessibility of Mississippi (BEAM) recently approved nine broadband expansion projects to be funded by the Capital Projects Fund (CPF). These nine projects will provide $21.6 million of grant funding to expand internet service to approximately 12,300 households in communities across the state. Approved projects by provider are as follows:

Governor Tate Reeves (R-MS) announced that the Office of Broadband Expansion and Accessibility of Mississippi (BEAM) recently approved 24 broadband infrastructure projects to be funded by the Capital Projects Fund (CPF). BEAM anticipates additional CPF projects to be approved on a rolling basis throughout the summer. These initial CPF projects will provide approximately $70.9 million of grant funding to build internet service to approximately 27,000 households in 19 counties across the state. Approved project locations by county are:

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) is partnering with rural cooperatives, local organizations and Tribes to support high-speed internet deployment in 11 states. USDA is awarding $5.2 million in cooperative agreements through the Broadband Technical Assistance Program, which is funded through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has accepted Mississippi’s Digital Equity plan. Using $875,585.61 from the State Digital Equity Planning Grant Program, Mississippi created a plan aimed at addressing disparities in digital access, skills and affordability across the state. NTIA has accepted digital equity plans from all 50 States, D.C., and Puerto Rico. On March 29th, 2024, NTIA launched the $1.44 billion Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program.

The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is winding down and will end in April when the rest of its funding is expected to run out, unless Congress enacts legislation to refund it.

The Mississippi Office of Broadband Expansion and Accessibility of Mississippi (BEAM) released its draft State Digital Skills and Accessibility (DSA) Plan for a 30-day public comment period on January 5, 2024. The Mississippi DSA Plan outlines how BEAM will work towards ensuring broadband accessibility, affordability, digital skills training, and digital opportunities for all citizens.