News

Wyoming has received 8 million from the Biden-Harris Internet For All plan to develop broadband service across the state. The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program will be responsible for implementing this initiative. Although Wyoming has achieved high internet connectivity within schools, access and speeds remain inadequate for towns and businesses.

To address this issue, Elaina Zempel, the head of the Wyoming Broadband Office, has been organizing information on speeds, access, and development to plan broadband expansion more efficiently. The Wyoming Broadband Office was established under the Wyoming Business Council as part of the Economically Needed Diversity Options for Wyoming Initiative (ENDOW). They also set up a Broadband Advisory Council to research and promote the expansion of broadband services in the state.

The Wyoming Broadband Office has categorized the state into unserved, underserved, and served areas. Their long-term goal is to provide download speeds of 120 megabytes per second or higher in unserved and underserved areas. This standard is necessary as industries increasingly adopt remote work and applications that require large data downloads or uploads.

However, the task of expanding broadband infrastructure in Wyoming comes with challenges. Building across open ranges or dense mountains is a massive undertaking, compounded by the longer winter season in Wyoming compared to other states. The low population in many areas also makes it difficult to attract service providers due to the lack of sufficient cash flow.

To address these challenges, Wyoming is utilizing various investment resources. The State of Wyoming allocated million in funds for the Broadband Advisory Council, and the United States Treasury granted Wyoming .5 million through the Capital Project fund. Service providers have begun applying for these funds to implement internet infrastructure projects. Additionally, the United States Department of Agriculture collaborates with states like Wyoming through the ReConnect Loan and Grant Program to expand connectivity to rural and underserved areas.

Despite the time-consuming and costly nature of these projects, the Wyoming Broadband Office believes that the end result will benefit both industries and individuals. High-speed connectivity in proximity to wide-open spaces makes Wyoming a more attractive option for remote work. It also provides opportunities for Wyoming’s children to stay in the state if they choose to. However, it is acknowledged that not everyone will want or need broadband access, and their preference to remain unconnected should be respected.

In conclusion, the Biden-Harris Internet For All plan will significantly contribute to the development of broadband service in Wyoming, striving for high connectivity rates and offering economic and individual benefits across the state.

The post The Biden-Harris Internet For All Plan Grants Wyoming 8 Million for Broadband Development appeared first on satProviders.