Missouri looks to broaden internet service to unserved areas

Missouri is receiving more than $1.7 billion in federal funding to expand broadband connectivity. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration approved Missouri’s proposal for the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (or BEAD) Program.

The BEAD Program aims to provide, or improve, access to affordable, reliable, high-speed internet to unserved and underserved parts of the state.

BJ Tanksley with the state Office of Broadband Development said that Missouri’s federal funding is the third largest allocation in the U.S.

“It was California, Texas, and then Missouri,” Tanksley said. “You know, it’s really an indication of, you know, the great need across the state of Missouri. There’s a lot of locations out there that, today, don’t have service, and we’re really excited about the opportunity to help bring that, working with willing providers, of course.”

He said that there are large spaces along Missouri’s southern border with Arkansas with no service, including Texas County.

“This is the amount of funding you have. And let’s remember, it’s historic amount of funding. But your job, mine and our offices, is to get service to everyone,” he explained. “So that really turns it on its head. But those are the two scenarios we see – areas where it’s kind of sparce between areas and then others where it’s more vast, where there’s, you know, an entire geography that doesn’t have service.”

Tanksley has identified more than 200,000 locations in Missouri that were determined to be eligible for BEAD funding.

“It means over the next year, we will be selecting the providers to actually go out and do the work,” he said. “Us making the funding available for them to be able to reach these hard-to-reach areas and really, truly, changing, you know, that availability.”

The BEAD program aims to provide, or improve, access to affordable, reliable, high-speed internet to unserved and underserved parts of the state