Sep 7 2010
The State Office of Facility Planning is securing the engineering services, on behalf of the Louisiana Optical Network Initiative (LONI) and the Board of Regents, in the initial phase of the fiber-optic network broadband project in Louisiana.
The Louisiana Broadband Alliance, which received funds for a broadband project in March 2010, will deploy about 1,000 miles of optical network lines in under-served and rural areas of Louisiana.
The $80.5 million fiber-optic network project will expand the capabilities of broadband Internet in Louisiana. The first stage of the project is the engineering services, which will involve a fiber infrastructure design, and an environmental assessment. This stage, scheduled to commence in early 2011, is essential for the solicitation of the fiber-optic lines’ deployment across the state. The final broadband project is anticipated to be completed by March 2013.
The Louisiana Broadband Alliance focuses on 21 parishes, including four parishes of Louisiana's American Indian tribes, and 12 parishes in the Northeast Louisiana delta region, for the project. Some of the parishes included in the program are West Baton Rouge, Tensas, Rapides, Ouachita, Madison, Jefferson Davis, Franklin, East Carroll, Catahoula, Calcasieu, and Allen.