The Broadband Equity Access and Deployment Program (BEAD) has emphasized access and a closing of the digital divide since its inception. What good are the high speeds available from modern internet infrastructure if they aren’t available for use? Louisiana’s broadband office, ConnectLA, has modeled what a truly access-forward implementation looks like. Leading the nation in early approvals, the office is now overseeing the deployment of its plans and taking steps to ensure that all those involved in the projects are aligned. 

ConnectLA recently released resource toolkits for GUMBO 2.0 (Granting Underserved Municipalities Broadband Opportunities), the state’s process for distributing BEAD funds, to guide continued buildout. The toolkits cover excavation and deployment. While these topic areas are specific to the physical realities of building broadband infrastructure, the underlying strategy can be modeled across policy sectors. 

Both toolkits underscore legal and regulatory clarity. The deployment toolkit is aimed toward stakeholders, while the excavation toolkit is for subgrantees. Providing information about relevant regulations and resources for if and when there is confusion allows the concerned parties to proceed with confidence. Broadband internet, like any technology, is subject to codes and guidelines. Ensuring that those within the industry are on the same page as state and federal offices about the rules of the road prevents the delays that often accompany a lack of legal clarity. 

The deployment toolkit dedicates a section to community engagement, offering social media graphics, specific language, and a timeline. Proactively dispelling misconceptions about the construction process and final goals can assure residents impacted by the temporary disruption of construction. Often, new and emerging technologies can seem distant, intimidating, and inconvenient. Equipping communities with resources to understand final goals, projected benefits, and even the day to day of expanding access to these technologies can assuage concerns. 

Fast and reliable internet is coming to parts of Louisiana that have long been excluded from its benefits. The recently released toolkits are just the most recent example of how ConnectLA is prioritizing transparency and efficiency. Beyond BEAD and GUMBO, consistent legal and regulatory clarity and transparency are good policy practice and should be the standard for government programs that impact taxpayers and communities. 

 

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BeadBroadband Equity Access and Deployment ProgramDigital divideLouisianaPublic policyPublic administration
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