Posted: Sep 15, 2022, 4:24 PM
Plain Dealing residents will soon have broadband services available after a national company announced plans to extend fiber optic services to the north Bossier Parish community, thanks to a state grant.
Comcast officials told members of the Bossier Parish Police Jury's broadband study committee that the company had been awarded a $300,000 GUMBO grant to help provide services to the Plain Dealing area.
GUMBO is designed to help broadband provider applicants facilitate deployment of the service to unserved areas of the state. The grants are part of the Louisiana Office of Broadband Development and Connectivity's "ConnectLA" program.
Ronnie Colvin, senior director external affairs for Comcast, said the company's total investment in the project is expected to be $2.3 million, including the GUMBO funds. Colvin said mapping and planning for the project is expected to begin in October and should take three to four months to complete.
Broadband services should be available to more than 220 Plain Dealing residences and 70 corporate users in two years, Colvin said.
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