BATON ROUGE, La. — Comcast has completed broadband projects extending high-speed internet access to more than 950 homes and businesses in Bossier and Caddo parishes through Louisiana’s GUMBO 1.0 grant program, state officials announced Oct. 16.
The projects reach more than 300 locations in Bossier Parish and more than 650 in Caddo Parish. Funding came from the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Capital Projects Fund and private investment from Comcast.
The expansion is part of ConnectLA’s Granting Unserved Municipalities Broadband Opportunities program, which supports broadband infrastructure in areas lacking service.
State and company officials said the new connections will support business activity, education and access to health care and other services.
“With every broadband expansion, rural communities are granted more opportunities than ever before,” state Rep. Wayne McMahen said. “Our community members deserve the opportunity to compete and grow, and strong internet connection makes that possible. I’m grateful for the work ConnectLA and our local providers are doing to help parishes across the state reach full connectivity.”
State Sen. J. Adam Bass said the infrastructure investments can help strengthen rural economies by improving access to essential services.
“For rural communities, connectivity is driving room for development in all areas,” Bass said. “With better connectivity, residents can access essential services from home, strengthening the entire local economy. Investments like these show our state’s commitment to long-term growth and responsible infrastructure development.”
ConnectLA Executive Director Veneeth Iyengar said coordination with providers helps move construction forward.
“Our goal at ConnectLA is to serve residents effectively and make a positive impact,” Iyengar said. “By working closely with providers and partners, we are able to get infrastructure in the ground as quickly and efficiently as possible, providing fast and reliable internet service where it’s needed most.”
The announcement did not disclose project costs, service pricing or connection speeds.
Residents can check service availability for their addresses at Xfinity.com. Businesses can check at ComcastBusiness.com.