Central Louisiana News

U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) and Governor Jeff Landry have announced the launch of the GUMBO 2.0 broadband program, which will implement a $1.35 billion investment secured by Cassidy through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). The initiative aims to expand broadband access to 100,000 homes—including 60,000 in rural parishes—35,000 businesses, and 4,000 community anchor institutions such as schools, hospitals, and law enforcement agencies.

“Louisianans need high-speed internet to grow their businesses and educate our children, and today we are investing in that need,” said Dr. Cassidy. “I was proud to be an integral part of securing this money for our state and am thankful to Governor Landry as he puts this $1.35 billion into action.”

Governor Jeff Landry expressed optimism about the program's impact: “Today, we are one step closer to eliminating the digital divide in our state. GUMBO 2.0 will play a direct role in expanding access to health care, growing our state’s small businesses, providing opportunities for our citizens to engage in remote work, and integrating technology into our agricultural sector. When we win in broadband, our citizens win, our communities win, our economy wins, and we position our state to win. I am eager to see this program in action and look forward to the economic impacts it will have on our state for generations to come.”

GUMBO 2.0 is projected to create between 8,000 and 10,000 new jobs while increasing the state’s GDP by $1.3 billion and generating $2-3 billion in new revenue for Louisiana companies.

Cassidy announced last year that the state would receive the $1.35 billion investment and has supported the governor’s efforts to implement it. Only six other states with larger populations than Louisiana have received more funding from IIJA for broadband.

The funding is sourced from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program which allocated $42.45 billion for expanding high-speed Internet access through planning, infrastructure deployment, and adoption programs.

During negotiations on the bill, Cassidy advocated for a fair broadband formula that would address Louisiana’s needs by directing funds towards areas lacking high-speed internet access based on updated coverage maps.