BATON ROUGE — Gov. Jeff Landry announced today that Louisiana is the first state in the country to receive federal approval of its final proposal to deploy $1.355 billion in Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) funding. The approval marks a major milestone for Louisiana’s GUMBO 2.0 program, moving the state closer to connecting every parish with reliable, high-speed internet. The plan also supports long-term growth in the workforce, education, healthcare, and innovation.
“This is a generational investment that places Louisiana at the forefront of America’s tech transformation. I would like to thank President Trump, Secretary Lutnick, and our congressional delegation for making this possible,” said Gov. Jeff Landry. “By focusing on efficiency and accountability, Louisiana is leading the way in deploying infrastructure, creating jobs, and preparing our country to win the future. I also want to thank Veneeth Iyengar, Executive Director for ConnectLA, and his team for doing a great job and leading the way for broadband efforts in the country.”
“I commend Louisiana for being the first state to receive full approval of their BEAD Final Proposal, bringing the state even closer to universal connectivity,” said NTIA Administrator Arielle Roth. “The state broadband office’s efforts to rein in excessive costs, use diverse technologies, and collaborate effectively with the private sector demonstrate the Benefit of the Bargain reforms in action. We can’t wait to see shovels in the ground and every Louisianan finally connected.”
“With this approval, we can shift from planning to putting shovels in the ground in the next several weeks,” said Veneeth Iyengar, Executive Director of ConnectLA. “This plan is built to help Louisiana families, schools, and small businesses stay connected, and we’re focused on making sure every dollar delivers real results for our communities. In the first 100 days of Governor Landry’s administration, he stressed to our office how critical it is that we solve the digital divide, and we are grateful for his leadership and continued support in making this happen. We are also grateful to Secretary Lutnick and his leadership team at Commerce and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration for quickly approving our plans.”
Louisiana’s approved proposal outlines a strategy to:
- Connect approximately 130,000 unserved and underserved locations across the state
- Partner with 14 internet service providers, with nearly 70% of awards going to Louisiana-based companies
- Support the creation of 8,000 to 10,000 new jobs and generate $2 billion to $3 billion in revenue for Louisiana businesses