JEFFERSON CITY — The state wants to make reliable internet connectivity accessible to every household by 2028, thanks in large part to a federal grant.
BJ Tanksley, director of the state’s Broadband Development Authority, gave the update during a House hearing Wednesday.
The federal program gave the agency $1.7 billion in funding to expand broadband across the state. Only Texas and California received more federal funding as part of the program. Neighboring states Kansas and Illinois received $450 million and $1 billion, respectively.
In the governor’s proposed budget released last week, only $2 million of the roughly $2 billion earmarked for broadband comes from the state’s general fund.
Last year, $261 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funding was allocated to broadband development. With that funding, 60 projects were approved to provide connectivity to underserved areas. Nine buildings have already been completed, Tanksley said.
“There are still a lot of places that don’t have service. Missouri has dramatic (broadband) needs,” Tanksley said.
A new online map published by the Broadband Development Authority shows network access levels for every address in the state, showing that 15% of Missouri households are unserved or underserved by an internet provider. It shows that it is not received.
Internet providers have a strong incentive to develop in urban areas because of the large number of potential customers. Building in more rural areas is less desirable due to the smaller population and lower density.
This division can be seen on the map of Colombia. This is because urban centers have reliable internet connections, which taper off in more rural areas of cities and counties. According to the map, the city of Columbia has nearly 100% internet connectivity, while rural Boone County has only about 78%.
Billions of dollars in federal subsidies give companies economic incentives to expand into underserved areas.
Connecting every home to the internet will require public input. The map shows your specific address, whether your home has internet access, available providers, and expected speeds.
In late March, the public will be able to review the map and report any inaccuracies in their home’s features. For example, if a map states that a home or business has access to his internet provider, but no provider is available, the owner can report the discrepancy.
The Broadband Authority will then review the complaint and determine whether it is valid, Tanksley said. He said providing this information is essential because states need to identify which areas require coverage down to the address level.
U.S. Rep. Adrian Plank, D-Columbia, who represents much of Boone County, supports the project, but said there are potential negative consequences for certain areas receiving insurance coverage years earlier than others. He said he was concerned. He said this is particularly worrying given that most of the programs are funded by grants, which are distributed more slowly than state funds.
Another federal program is providing $24 million to states to support digital equity. Tanksley said the Broadband Authority plans to use this to increase public understanding of the digital economy, cybersecurity and how to increase participation on the internet.
