Congrats Louisiana!: Making BEAD History Again Vol II Approved

Louisiana has become the first U.S. state or territory in the nation to have both volumes of its initial BEAD approved by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. 

Ready congratulates Veneeth Iyengar, Thomas Tyler and the Connect Louisiana team for such a tremendous step towards their goal of eliminating the Bayou State’s digital divide by 2029. 

Connect Louisiana’s proposal showcases the state’s work in building a telecommunications infrastructure that can sustain natural disasters in the state which have become increasingly common, ensuring that the Gumbo 2.0 grant process is competitive and open to all providers and builds a low-cost plan that balances the affordability needs of families and the long-term financial success of internet service providers.

“Louisianans should be thrilled that we have set the pace for the country in terms of execution and speed,” Veneeth Iyengar, executive director of Connect Louisiana, said. “Our projects will have a leg up in securing access to labor, materials and investment capital and Louisianans will ultimately receive the benefits of broadband expansion far sooner than residents of any state.” 

Volume I of the Initial Proposal details Connect Louisiana’s plan for a challenge process to determine BEAD-eligible locations. Volume II covers the specific actions that Louisiana will undertake to ensure that every location has access to high-speed, affordable and reliable Internet service.