Local officials and state leaders gathered on June 8 for a ceremonial ribbon-cutting celebrating the completion of a major broadband infrastructure project. Funded by Louisiana’s Gumbo grant program, the newly installed in-ground fiber optic network brings high-speed internet access to 171 homes and 24 small businesses across long-underserved pockets of Natchitoches Parish, including the Clarence and Natchez areas.

Natchitoches City Councilwoman-at-Large Betty Sawyer Smith welcomed attendees, emphasizing that high-speed internet is now mandatory for daily life. District 25 State Representative Jason DeWitt praised the breakneck speed of the buildout, noting that crews laid tens of miles of fiber in near-record time with minimal disruption.

Louisiana’s decisive broadband initiative has positioned the state as a national leader. Officials noted that the journey from the onset of the pandemic in March 2020—which exposed severe digital inequities—to a fully funded, operating state broadband network took just six years.

The arrival of fiber internet provides an immediate boost to the parish economy, enabling remote work, e-commerce, and access to critical services like telehealth and digital pharmaceuticals. Bubba Sessions, representing the governor’s office, stated that closing the rural digital divide remains a primary focus for the administration.

While this specific project is complete, state leaders confirmed that funding is already secured to connect the remaining 1,818 unserved households and businesses across the broader parish. Grant agreements have been finalized with two Louisiana-based companies, Swift Fiber and Pelican Broadband, to close these gaps, with construction already underway in the Natchitoches-Coushatta area.

To mark the completion of the network, telecommunications provider Optimum wrapped up the celebration with a $5,000 corporate investment in local education. A representative for Optimum presented the check to the Natchitoches Parish School District through a partnership with the national non-profit DonorsChoose. The funds will allow individual local teachers to apply for direct grants to purchase classroom materials, headphones, and technology aids.

“I work in 17 states across the country, and everyone looks to Louisiana,” the Optimum representative remarked. “No one is out there moving as fast as this state.”

Following the presentations, the delegation concluded the event by ceremonially cutting a length of fiber optic cable to officially launch the network.