A $32.7 million broadband Infrastructure grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) will help connect more than 12,000 Mississippi households to high-speed internet, according to the DOC.
Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves and U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, Republican of Mississippi, made the announcement March 25 in Jackson, Miss., the DOC statement reports. Ten projects across rural areas in the state are to be funded by the grant, benefiting households, businesses and anchor institutions such as libraries and schools, the DOC reports.
Dep. Sec. Graves said the grant "will help close the digital divide in Mississippi and across the country." Sen. Wicker called the grant "great news" for Mississippi.
“The Broadband Infrastructure Program is helping to connect thousands of homes, businesses, schools, and universities across Mississippi to high-quality internet," Sen Wicker said at the announcement ceremony. "I look forward to working with the Department of Commerce and agencies in Mississippi to expand broadband access to every unserved household in our state.”
Deputy Sec. Graves and Sen. Wicker met with leaders from several historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) at Jackson State University after the announcement, to discuss the role of HBCUs in the fair expansion of broadband and internet access nationwide, the DOC reports. Pres Joe Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law's Digital Equity Act provides $2.75 billion to ensure digital equity, Graves noted at the discussion.
"The importance of HBCUs in ensuring that these funds are spent in the communities that need them most cannot be overstated," Graves said according to the DOC, "as many HBCUs are located in communities with high populations of unserved and underserved persons."
Graves stated that HBCUs produce nearly 20 percent of Black college graduates and 25 percent of Black STEM graduates. "This means that not only are HBCUs and their students on the front lines of these issues, but they are also the people our communities look to for leadership and guidance,” Graves said.
During a tour of the Jackson State E-Center, Graves said the E-Center was the state's largest cyber-technology complex focused on minority businesses, and as such "is perfectly situated to help minority-owned businesses recover from the pandemic and provide them with the cybersecurity resources and skills they need to maintain, protect, and grow their businesses.” Graves said, adding the DOC's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) looks forward to partnering with the E-Center to support the minority businesses.
“In Mississippi, 23% of households do not have an internet subscription and nearly 18% of Mississippians live in areas with zero broadband infrastructure," Dep. Sec. Graves said. "With this grant, we are ensuring that all Americans can access affordable high-speed internet and participate in our modern economy.”
