Rural parishes get high-speed internet
Published 7:00 pm Wednesday, February 5, 2020
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Three rural parishes west of Baton Rouge are going to get high-speed internet connections in one of the revived efforts to get that service to some of the 494,000 rural Louisiana residents who don’t have those connections.
The 200 miles of fiber-optic cable will help 2,609 homes, 12 businesses and 16 farms in Iberville, St. Landry and Pointe Coupee parishes reach faster speeds, according to a report in The Advocate.
The $15.5 million project was announced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Star Communications of Maringouin will receive a $7.7 million federal grant and matching loan to do the work, which is expected to take about five years to complete.
Roy Hollemon, USDA’s rural development director for Louisiana, said, “USDA is committed to this strong partnership with rural communities in deploying this critical infrastructure. We know when rural America thrives, all of America thrives.”
Hospitals and medical facilities have begun offering services for rural patients to video chat with doctors, which saves them long trips. Farmers are also using more technology that relies on strong internet connections.
Leslie Durham, Gov. John Bel Edwards designee to the Delta Regional Authority where the grant was announced, said, “When students can do their homework at home and not at a McDonald’s, it’s worth it.”
When the project is completed, customers will have a range of packages from which to choose, ranging from $40 to $100 per month for internet speeds that match what customers in Baton Rouge and New Orleans are receiving.
The newspaper said people in rural parishes often rely on their cellphones or satellite service, which is slower and less reliable than cable or fiber-optic internet. An Iberville STEM Academy senior said the school has increased its focus on computerized assignments and slow internet causes problems.
Michael Chauffe, mayor of Grosse Tete, said internet speed is often a sticking point for businesses and developers who want to build in the city. Faster speeds will give residential and business development a jolt in the future, he said.
The Federal Communications Commission launched the $20 billion Rural Digital Opportunity Fund to expand rural broadband development last week. The new Trump administration program is aimed at extending internet coverage.
The FCC said 188,000 Louisiana households would be eligible for the program, and the state needs to participate. No one should be satisfied until all of those 494,000 people in rural Louisiana have access to high-speed internet.
