Louisiana’s state and local governments will be receiving approximately $5.18 billion from the federal government because of the American Rescue Plan of 2021. Part of that $5.18 billion is earmarked for water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure projects. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted that many rural areas still struggle with broadband internet access.  Louisiana policymakers should invest...

There is no question that more Louisianans are in need of broadband internet connections. With children relying on broadband to attend school, employees counting on it to work, and many needing it to see their doctor, getting connected is more important than ever before. Unfortunately, many of the proposed solutions to get this don’t are...

On Friday, Governor John Bel Edwards’ vetoed an important piece of legislation for connecting Louisianans to high speed internet. SB 406 by Senator Beth Mizell would have removed government barriers that are preventing countless Louisianans from getting connected. The following is a statement from Daniel Erspamer, chief executive officer of the Pelican Institute, regarding Gov....

The COVID-19 pandemic has made us more reliant on the internet than ever before. And while it has served as an essential tool for staying connected with our friends, family and colleagues, it has also proven especially important for one particular group of Louisianans – students. Louisiana students were in the middle of finishing up...

As connectivity has become more important than ever, elected officials at all levels of government are facing issues, challenges, and opportunities that have previously been largely unexplored. To that end, today, the Pelican Institute joined other public policy groups across the nation in releasing policy solutions to help states close the digital divide following COVID-19. This...

Since the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), led by Chairman Ajit Pai, ended the regulation of the internet under Title II, investment in broadband infrastructure has continued to increase. Now that we’re facing a public health crisis posed by COVID-19, this increase in broadband capacity is more important than ever. That’s why when the FCC recently...

Despite the gorgeous weather in large swaths of the country, the recent spread of COVID-19 and extensions of stay at home orders by several governors is forcing many Americans to stay indoors. Just a few years ago, this kind of large-scale self-isolation would have taken an even greater mental toll on people, but thankfully, today’s...

Despite the notable growth of broadband access and wireless technology in Louisiana, there remains vast untapped potential for this market.