“Right now, Mississippi, according to most estimates, we have the largest expansion fiber to the home broadband in America when it comes down to the number of customers being served,” Brandon Presley, Northern District Public Service Commissioner, stated recently in a lengthy interview at his office in the Woolfolk State Office Building in Jackson. 2,765 miles worth of fiber optic cable are expected to pass through 28,447 homes and businesses by 2020. Another 1,980 miles are planned to be installed in 2021, connecting 17,309 homes with businesses. Presley stated that while not every household will have internet access, it will be available to those who do. According to multiple studies, Mississippi’s internet access is very poor. This is why Mississippi needs rapid expansion. BroadbandNow’s 2018 report shows that Mississippi is the only state with greater internet coverage than Montana, at 70%. Mississippi is also behind most other states in terms speed of internet access. The Legislature appropriated $75 million from the $1.25billion it received in federal Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security Act funds earlier this year to increase high-speed internet. The state’s customer-owned electrical power cooperatives are eligible for $65 million, while the private sector is entitled to $10 million. The co-ops and providers must match the grants on a dollar for dollar basis. The Legislature demands that the internet, which will be built using the CARES Act funds, provide 100 megabits download-and-upload speeds. This is what Presley calls the “gold standard” of internet speed. Delbert Hosemann stated. Electric cooperatives (also known as co-ops) were established in the 1930s to supply electricity to large areas of the state, including rural Mississippi. Presley championed a law that allowed the co-ops to offer internet service, which was passed by the Legislature in 2019. Sally Doty, who was formerly chair of the Senate Energy Committee but was recently appointed to the position of Governor, said that this law is very similar to the early 1900s, when co-ops supplied electricity to rural homes. Tate Reeves was appointed executive director of Public Utilities staff. This group was responsible for awarding grants. “Fast, reliable internet is a necessity and lifeline to all of us.” Mississippi will also be eligible for federal Rural Digital Opportunity funds worth up to $940 million over the next 10 years. This money is paid by small federal tax customers on their phone bills. This program was originally created to provide rural landline phone service. The funds were later used to build rural cell phone towers. Now, the Federal Communications Commission plans to expand the program to improve internet access. In 2021, the state will receive its first installment — $94 Million. Many state officials believe that Mississippi could move up the ranks of states offering high-speed internet access. Presley stated, “To me, we could have the grand slam.” Presley presented a chart showing how 223,152 homes or businesses could be eligible to high-speed internet. It was based on the amount of money that the state could receive over a period of 10 years from the federal Rural Digital Opportunity Program. Presley stated that COVID-19 should be reopened with the knowledge and capability to transition to distance education with the same ease and ease as switching on the light switch. “It should all be seamless. The only way to make that happen is to ensure every Mississippi home has high-speed internet. In 2019, the Legislature passed the Broadband Enabling Act, which allows electric cooperatives to offer broadband services. Presley advocated for the program after seeing the success of an electric cooperative serving rural northwest Alabama. Although the legislation that allowed rural electric power associations to offer high-speed internet was well received, many agreed that the process for installing equipment by customer-owned, non profit associations would be expensive and slow. Some cooperatives might not want to enter the business. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the process. High speed internet is essential for distance learning and remote work. This was evident after the closing of schools in spring. Presley stated that the calendar does not favor distance education. It is not the fault of anyone… but it is the truth. We shouldn’t have to again debate the necessity of high speed internet. People will ask us “When was the evidence available what did we do?” Despite all the progress made, there are still areas in the state where no one applied to state grants for rural broadband service expansion. 26 counties have no application for grants from the state to expand broadband. Officials hope that federal funds will help fill in some of these gaps. Co-op customers may also exert pressure on their boards to provide internet service. So far, 15 out of 25 cooperatives have pledged to provide broadband. There is another problem: Some areas of the state, such as the Wren area in Monroe County or the Holly Springs area within Marshall County, are not receiving broadband service due to the fact that residents there receive electricity from their municipal utilities. The law prohibits municipal utilities from offering internet service. Additionally, the area is not large enough to attract private providers. Presley stated that there should be some provisions in the law to assist those who live in these areas. “They shouldn’t be punished just because they live there,” Doty stated. In the short-term, Doty indicated that many school districts will need to set up hot spots in areas without high-speed internet in order to provide distance learning opportunities for students in the age of the pandemic. To help school districts with distance education, the Legislature allocated $200 million to CARES Act funds. This includes funds to ensure that all students have a computer or another WiFi device to enable them to attend school remotely. Presley stated that he believes the jury has reached a verdict with the pandemic. It is a necessity. We should not spend another moment in Mississippi debating about internet service. It is necessary.”