Louisiana is once again finding itself at the front of the pack when it comes to turning federal broadband dollars into actual infrastructure.
Through the state’s GUMBO 2.0 program, Louisiana officials say the state has now delivered two more national firsts in the federal Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program: the first community in the country to receive BEAD-funded fiber service and the first provider in the nation to begin construction on a BEAD-funded fiber network.
That distinction matters because broadband programs have often been criticized for moving slowly through layers of federal approval, planning and bureaucracy.
Louisiana is now pointing to actual customers, active construction and Louisiana-based companies doing the work.
Pelican Broadband has connected the nation’s first BEAD-funded fiber customers in Coushatta, while SkyRider Communications has begun construction on another federally supported fiber network in northern Louisiana.
Louisiana contractor Etheridge Pipeline & Conduit is also participating in the work.
The projects represent the kind of result taxpayers should expect from major infrastructure spending: completed work, local contractors and measurable service reaching communities that need it.
Rural Louisiana Starts Seeing Results
Coushatta, a small Red River Parish community of roughly 1,750 residents, is now home to the first customers in the country receiving fiber internet through the BEAD program.
Pelican Broadband’s GUMBO 2.0 project includes approximately 100 miles of fiber infrastructure and is expected to bring fiber-to-the-home service to 1,102 locations.
According to ConnectLA, 221 locations are already serviceable.
The full project is expected to be completed by September 2027.
Pelican Broadband President and CEO Mike George said the project fits the company’s long-standing mission of serving rural Louisiana.
“Pelican Broadband has been connecting rural Louisiana since 1948, and this is the same work we have always done — reaching the homes that are hardest to reach,” George said.
The company says the new fiber network will be capable of delivering speeds of up to 10 gigabits per second.
Another Louisiana Company Breaks Ground First
In northern Louisiana, SkyRider Communications has become the first provider in the country to begin construction on a BEAD-funded fiber project.
The company received GUMBO 2.0 funding to serve approximately 700 locations, though the overall project is expected to connect more than 1,000 homes, farms and businesses.
State officials say roughly 80% of the underground duct installation is complete and fiber cable is actively being pulled.
The first customers are expected to come online soon, with the full buildout projected for the first quarter of 2027.
SkyRider President and CEO Brad Warden credited Louisiana’s preparation and early action for allowing the project to move ahead of other states.
“ConnectLA’s leadership made Louisiana number one in the nation for federal BEAD readiness, which empowered us to be the first company in the country to break ground and start building,” Warden said.
Landry: Results Matter More Than Announcements
Gov. Jeff Landry framed the milestone as an example of government funding producing visible, practical results.
“This isn’t about dollars on a spreadsheet; it’s about results that people can see,” Landry said.
“We’re going to be running fiber into rural parishes and putting that work in the hands of Louisiana companies. We’re not just talking about closing the digital divide; we’re actually accomplishing it.”
That is the key distinction.
Government programs are easy to announce. Press conferences, grant awards and promises are common.
What matters is whether infrastructure actually gets built and whether residents actually receive service.
In this case, Louisiana can point to customers already connected and construction crews already working.
Louisiana Continues to Lead BEAD Rollout
According to ConnectLA, Louisiana had already achieved several other firsts in the national BEAD rollout.
The state says it was the first to secure federal approval, the first to distribute BEAD funding and the first to activate a BEAD-funded broadband tower.
Louisiana now adds first fiber customers and first fiber construction to that list.
The state says it remains on track to achieve statewide broadband coverage by 2028.
For rural Louisiana, that could have significant consequences.
Reliable high-speed internet is no longer a luxury. It affects education, small businesses, agriculture, telemedicine, remote work and whether rural communities can compete economically with larger cities.
Louisiana still has a long way to go before every project is completed, and taxpayers should continue watching costs, timelines and performance closely.
But the early results are difficult to ignore.
While other states are still working through the process, Louisiana companies are already putting fiber in the ground and connecting customers.
That is the kind of progress worth recognizing.
Source: Louisiana Office of Broadband Development and Connectivity — ConnectLA
