Reviewed by: Patience Itson
NEW: Be Linked Alabama aims to bring high-speed internet to all 67 counties
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While many of us take high-speed internet access for granted, a surprising number of Alabamians don’t have this luxury. Keep reading to find out how Be Linked Alabama is working to bring high-speed internet to the whole state.
Linking together 67 Alabama counties
According to BroadbandNow.com, 85.4% of Alabama residents have access to broadband (100Mbps) internet, which leaves hundreds of thousands without great connection. These stats put Alabama at 41st in the nation for broadband access, but a new program is looking to change that.
On Tuesday, August 8, Governor Kay Ivey unveiled Be Linked Alabama—a new program coordinated by the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) to grant all Alabamians high-speed internet access.
“As we launch Be Linked Alabama today, we are furthering our commitment to fully connecting our state. Offering the ability to connect to high-speed internet in all 67 counties is a journey, not a short trip, but Alabama is certainly well positioned to finish this race in the near future.”
Governor Kay Ivey (source)
These efforts will utilize over $400 million in federal funding and more than $1.4 billion from the U.S. Department of Commerce Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment Program (BEAD).
The new Be Linked Alabama website is live now
On the day of Governor Ivey’s announcement, the new Be Linked Alabama website went live.
On the website, you can find the Alabama Broadband Map, county profiles and broadband updates.
“Our state has already made tremendous progress on our journey to expand high-speed internet availability by providers, but we still have a long way to go. Be Linked Alabama represents the progress that we have made, and the continued progress still to come.”
Kenneth Boswell, Director, ADECA (source)
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