St. Tammany, a rural parish in Louisiana, will expand high-speed internet access to nearly 1,000 homes following a $3 million infrastructure investment.
“In this rapidly developing world, it has never been more important for all of our citizens to have access to reliable, high speed internet,” said Parish President Mike Cooper. “With this investment, our citizens will be able to connect to their loved ones, healthcare providers, customers, schools and so much more.”
Funding for the project comes in the form of $2 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding, as well as $1 million from AT&T, which is serving as the contractor for the project. The project will lay an end-to-end fiber network that will increase speeds up to five gigabytes per second.
Once completed, AT&T Standard pricing plans will be available to customers. Qualified residents will be able to apply for the Affordability Connectivity Program, which offers a $30 monthly service plan.
The parish explained that the first phase of the broadband expansion will provide fiber infrastructure for 883 homes that currently have limited access to internet service. Additional phases for broadband expansion are currently in the planning stages, and will continue to provide high-speed internet access in rural St. Tammany. The fruits of the entire expansion project will be available to residents within the next 24 months.
