LOUISIANA — Louisiana has become the first state in the nation approved to receive $1.36 billion in federal broadband funding, positioning the state as a national leader in efforts to close the digital divide.

State officials announced that the approved proposal will expand high-speed internet access to roughly 130,000 unserved and underserved locations across Louisiana. The plan includes partnerships with 14 internet service providers, most of them Louisiana-based, and is expected to create 8,000 to 10,000 new jobs.

The funding comes through the Broadband, Equity, Access and Deployment program, known as BEAD, crafted under the administration of former President Joe Biden. Louisiana’s broadband office was the first in the country to secure approval for its plan.

The expansion is expecte

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