AT&T and Louisiana are working to finalize a $19 million public private partnership to bring a fiber broadband to 9,800 addresses in 13 parishes.
The project will go forward when the state and carrier sign a contract. The network would be deployed over parts of Beauregard, Bienville, Calcasieu, East Feliciana, Morehouse, Orleans, Plaquemines, Richland, Tensas, Union, Washington, Webster and West Baton Rouge parishes.
“We are proud to work with Governor Edwards, the Legislature, the ConnectLA team, and local leaders in Parishes across the state to help close the digital divide,” AT&T Southeast States’ president Sonia Perez said in a press release. “AT&T’s fiber network is fast and reliable, and we look forward to helping build better futures for the businesses and people of Louisiana.”
More than 420,000 locations in Louisiana already are served by AT&T, according to the press release. The carrier says it has invested more than $1.1 billion in wireless and wireline service there between 2019 and 2021.
AT&T has announced several public private partnerships. Most of the activity has been in Indiana.
Last week, AT&T and Indiana signed a $13 million agreement under which the carrier will bring fiber broadband to almost 6,100 addresses in parts of Bartholomew, Clinton, Grant, Hendricks, Johnson, Lawrence, Montgomery, Morgan and Putnam counties.
During the first week of July, Boonville, IN and the carrier announced the finalization of a $4.4 million contract to bring fiber broadband to more than 4,000 addresses in the city. The deal was announced on July 6.
In October 1, 2021, AT&T said that a public private partnership with Vanderburgh County, IN, will bring fiber broadband to 20,000 locations. The county will pick up $9.9 million of the cost and the carrier will cover $29.7 million of the cost.
AT&T CEO John Stankey recently touted the company as a good partner for states who are allocating funding to expand broadband access.
