Because of a new federal program called “Connect America” over 50,000 homes and businesses in 24 parishes across rural north Louisiana will have high-speed Internet access.
The news was announced last month during a news conference held in the Shreveport/Bossier area with AT&T Regional Director Robert Vinet and District 5 Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell.
“You’ll have radios on the tower that will go out wirelessly to a fixed wireless antenna at a house,” said Vinet. He added, “So this product’s going to go a long way in helping close that digital divide. The last mile of connectivity has always been the most challenging. And we figured out a way to do it wirelessly.”
According to KSLA-TV in Shreveport, AT&T is one of three telecommunications companies that are helping implement the program through “22 million dollars in federal funding, for fiber, wireless and satellite connections.”
Besides AT&T, CenturyLink will also be offering a broadband expansion but will be doing so, according to a press release, “using primarily wireline technology” as opposed to wireless.
According to the same press release, “AT&T is responsible for 79 percent of the FCC-funded broadband expansion. CenturyLink has 18 percent and satellite provider ViaSat has three percent. Campbell said the FCC has given AT&T and CenturyLink a deadline to finish their buildout of broadband service statewide by the end of 2020.
The cost for AT&T’s increased broadband connectivity will start at $60.00 per month.
Campbell commented, “It helps businesses. It helps hospitals. It helps everybody. If a business wants to move to rural parts of Louisiana they have to have high-speed Internet to compete.”
To determine if your home or business is newly served by one of these providers, consult AT&T by website at www.att.com/fixedwireless, call CenturyLink at 866-963-6665 or visit www.centurylink.com/ordernow. ViaSat said it will make more information available to the public at a later date.
June 16, 2026
