On Friday, Gov. Kay Ivey announced a new initiative to improve broadband access called the Alabama Community Broadband Technical Assistance Program.
The governor participated on Monday at the Montgomery County Commission in the first of a series of meetings that will occur in each Alabama county through the program organized by the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA).
The state has long lagged behind the rest of the nation in broadband access – a weakness that was made abundantly clear during the COVID-19 global pandemic when hundreds of thousands of Alabamians had limited access to telemedicine, telecommuting, and e-learning during the extended forced economic shutdown where schools, government offices, doctors’ offices, and many businesses were shut down for months.
“In 2022, being able to be connected at home, work, or on the go is absolutely necessary,” Ivey said recently at an event in Prattville where she announced $82.45 million to make statewide broadband more available and affordable to more people.
“Achieving full broadband coverage is a journey, not a short trip, and today is an important step toward completing that journey,” Gov. Ivey stated.
A representative from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) will also be present to announce broadband grants.
Gov. Ivey was joined by ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell, NTIA Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information Alan Davidson, Montgomery TechLab Program Director Charles Jackson, and local officials.
Economic developer Dr. Nicole Jones told Alabama Today, “Broadband internet is a request that virtually every major business desires when locating within Alabama. Access to high-speed internet/fiber will increase our state’s ability to recruit jobs, improve healthcare, and enhance educational opportunities for students. Thank you to Governor Kay Ivey and ADECA for making efforts to address the unique challenges in all of Alabama’s 67 counties through the Alabama Community Broadband Technical Assistance Program (TAP). Public funds combined with private sector investments is a team effort that helps initiatives come to fruition and ultimately enhances the quality of life for Alabamians.”
The state is flush with hundreds of millions of dollars from the federal government’s American Rescue Plan Act and the bipartisan infrastructure bill to address broadband issues. The state has tasked ADECA with being the lead agency in this effort.
ADECA is administering the Broadband effort through its Alabama Digital Expansion Division, which the Legislature created to identify projects that will expand broadband access in Alabama.
More details about the Alabama Community Broadband Technical Assistance Program (TAP) will be released in the coming days.
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