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Louisiana State Broadband Office

Louisiana State Broadband Office Overview

Louisiana Broadband Grant Award Status

BEAD :$1.4 B

Louisiana 5 Year Plan
Initial Proposal v1
Challenge Window
4
Initial Proposal v2
5
Application Window
6
Awards Announced

Treasury Capital Projects Fund: $176.7 M

Treasury Approved
Application Window
3
Awards Announced

Broadband Office Name:
ConnectLA

Parent Department:
Office of the Governor

Louisiana Broadband Director

Veneeth Iyengar

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About ConnectLA

The Louisiana Office of Broadband Development and Connectivity says its goal is to close the state’s digital divide by 2029. Veneeth Iyengar, the state broadband director, has emphasized the centrality of stakeholder engagement and community buy-in to his team’s strategy.

Details on the state’s Granting Unserved Municipalities Broadband Opportunities – “GUMBO” – grant program can be found here. The initial round of GUMBO grants was announced in July 2022, sending over $130 million to serve more than 66,000 locations and 50 parishes. The program’s second wave of grants – $38 million for 10 parishes – was announced the following month.

GUMBO defines “unserved areas” as areas that lack access to wireline or fixed-wireless service with at least 25 Mbps upload and 3 Mbps download speeds. Eligible recipients are broadband service providers.

Louisiana also offers a broadband toolkit, designed to guide elected officials, community leaders, and other stakeholders. The toolkit is a “step-by-step guide designed to explain why and how to get everyone in your community or region access to broadband internet,” the state says.

The Pelican State touts itself as the nation’s leader in enrollment for the Affordable Connectivity Program, a federal program which subsidizes monthly internet bills and device purchases for low-income Americans.

More info

Access Louisiana's GUMBO Grant program.

Louisiana Broadband Investment Maps

Louisiana broadband investment map ready strength rank

Louisiana Map of Ready Strength Rank

Louisiana broadband investment map yield on cost

Louisiana Yield on Cost Maps

Louisiana broadband investment map price and competition

Louisiana Pricing & Competition Map

Louisiana broadband investment map business establishments

Louisiana Map of Business Establishments in Underserved Areas

Louisiana broadband investment map REC coverage

Louisiana Rural Electric Cooperative (REC) Coverage Map

Map of Louisiana Broadband Serviceable Locations

Louisiana Map of Anchor Institutions

Louisiana Broadband Service Provider Coverage Maps

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Louisiana Small Business Establishments Map

Number of small business establishments

Louisiana broadband investment map small business establishments

Business size distribution in underserved areas

Louisiana broadband investment map business size distribution within underserved project areas