West Alabama To Get More Broadband Connectivity

Since 2017, Alabama’s legislature has taken a proactive approach, enacted laws and allocated funds to support broadband deployment statewide. Alabama rural areas were some of the most underserved in the nation, a problem that was emphasized when schools and businesses were force into work at home during the pandemic.

Broadband internet became an emphasis for Gov. Ivey who grew up in rural Wilcox County. Through the Alabama Broadband Accessibility Act, much progress has been made.

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In 2017 Ivey established the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs as the agency to assume all powers, duties, responsibilities, authority, and obligations belonging to the Office of Broadband Development. Since then, on May 17, 2021, Governor Kay Ivey signed the Connect Alabama Act which created the Alabama Digital Expansion Authority, the Alabama Digital Expansion Division of ADECA and the Alabama Digital Expansion Finance Corporation.

In 2023 the state received $1.4 billion to boost ongoing efforts to expand broadband access to those unserved areas, mostly in the Black Belt.

Now, the Trump administration has approved Alabama’s final Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program proposal.

With the approval, Governor Ivey has awarded grants totalling nearly $460 million to support 63 projects to expand access to broadband service to approximately 92,000 currently unserved locations statewide, marking a major milestone in the state’s broadband journey.

“This approval marks an important step forward in our work to close the digital divide in Alabama,” Governor Ivey stated in the press release. “Reliable high-speed internet is essential for economic growth, education, healthcare and everyday life. I am proud of the collaboration between our state leaders, ADECA, local communities and providers that made this plan possible. With this progress, we are ensuring that families and businesses across Alabama will have the connectivity they need to thrive in the modern economy.”

The projects in West Alabama are:

AT&T:

• Bibb County – $1.54 million to provide access to high-speed internet service in 154 locations.
• Walker County – $5.05 million to provide access to high-speed internet service in 505 locations.

BRIGHTSPEED:

• Pickens County – $2.39 million to provide access to high-speed internet service in 1,804 locations.

Comcast:

• Tuscaloosa County – $32.41 million to provide access to high-speed internet service in 3,389 locations.

MSTREET Fiber Alabama:

• Greene County – $2.69 million to provide access to high-speed internet service in 384 locations.
• Hale County – $6.37 million to provide access to high-speed internet service in 872 locations.
• Marengo County – $3.75 million to provide access to high-speed internet service in 511 locations.
• Perry County – $4.79 million to provide access to high-speed internet service in 1,167 locations.
• Sumter County – $6.61 million to provide access to high-speed internet service in 886 locations.

ADECA provides local Governments with a guidebook to facilitate broadband deployment in Alabama.