I’ve been working with Governor Kay Ivey for quite some time, and when she says she wants something done, she means it.
When Governor Ivey asked me to serve as director of the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) in 2017, she made one thing perfectly clear. She says expanding access to high-speed internet to all Alabamians is a top priority of her administration.
ADECA, the state agency responsible for coordinating and implementing state and federally funded broadband expansion projects, is truly honored to help Governor Ivey achieve his goals.
I am proud that our state has made great strides in achieving that goal over the past several years, thanks to Governor Ivey’s leadership, the support of the Alabama Legislature, and our Internet service providers who are working to install fiber optics. I think so.
Just a few years ago, the state ranked 40th in high-speed internet access, according to Broadband Now’s state rankings. The current ranking is in the low 20s.
This progress has come at an incredibly fast pace, but it hasn’t been easy. This has happened as a result of the tireless efforts, collaboration, investment, and teamwork of countless leaders, groups, and organizations, both public and private, who have taken the necessary steps to get to where we are today.
Let’s discuss some of those steps.
Since 2018, Alabama has invested $82 million in state funds to support more than 100 projects in underserved areas. Once completed, more than 72,000 previously unserved households, businesses, and community agencies in Alabama will have access to broadband service.
In 2021, Alabama released the Alabama Broadband Map and the Alabama Connectivity Plan to guide the state’s efforts and recommend strategies to expand access to the internet, setting a national standard.
We held technical assistance meetings in all 67 counties in Alabama to answer questions from communities and inform them about how they can take advantage of state programs.
And with federal American Rescue Plan Act funding purposefully appropriated by the Alabama Legislature for broadband expansion, hundreds of millions of dollars of projects are being launched across the state.
In 2022, we issued $82.45 million in grants to the Alabama Fiber Network. The Alabama Fiber Network has launched an ambitious middle-mile effort, bringing together internet service providers and other private companies in the state. We released approximately $180 million from our Capital Projects Fund for last-mile projects. More than $200 million will also support the Alabama Anchor Institutions/Middle Mile Program, which will fund fiber-optic connections to anchor institutions such as universities, local hospitals, and government facilities.
All of this, on top of $1.4 billion in federal funding through the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program that will become available in 2025, brings tremendous resources to these critical needs for states.
ADECA’s mission is to ensure that these federal funds are used intentionally and effectively for maximum results.
We’re proud of the progress we’ve made, but as Governor Ivey has said many times, our state’s broadband journey is a marathon, not a sprint. And we still have a lot of work to do to achieve her goal of uniting all Alabamians.
These federal resources we received were essential to helping us achieve her goals. However, there are certain areas of the state that are not eligible for these federal funds, and additional flexibility is needed to be effective in these areas.
That’s why the state’s broadband expansion program, the Alabama Broadband Accessibility Fund, is so important. This can fill gaps that federal programs cannot cover. This is important because we need to ensure that no Alabamian is left behind.
Through continued funding for this important program, we can continue to address the areas needed to launch projects that transform our communities and bring them into the digital age.
Let’s push forward to the goal without slowing down. Strike the iron while it’s hot and achieve the Governor’s ambitious goal of providing Alabamians with access to high-speed internet.
