JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi’s plan for spending $1.2 billion in federal funds to expand broadband access does not ensure the neediest communities in the state will benefit, a coalition of statewide organizations alleged Monday.
At a news conference at the state Capitol, groups focused on broadband equity and Democratic lawmakers said the state’s five-year plan won’t do enough to make internet access more affordable, even though only one-third of Mississippians have access to affordable broadband.
The coalition called for the Broadband Expansion and Accessibility of Mississippi office — the state entity created to manage billions in grant dollars — to ensure impoverished communities in the Mississippi Delta would benefit from the federal windfall and develop more plans for addressing racial disparities in broadband access.
“BEAM’s current strategy and approach would benefit wealthy and well-resourced communities, leaving poor and unserved communities in the same or worse state that they’re in today,” said Vangela M. Wade, president of the Mississippi Center for Justice, a nonprofit legal group focused on racial and economic justice.