When Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann and lawmakers in the Mississippi legislature got $1.2 billion in federal money from the first stimulus bill in March, they decided to do something different. They used a portion of the funds to supercharge the rollout of high-speed broadband to the most underserved areas of the state in an effort to close the digital divide. 

They went to rural electric co-ops — private, independent electric utilities owned by the members they serve — many of which were left gobsmacked by the offer, according to David O’Bryan, general manager of Delta Electric Power Association, which now serves Carroll and Grenada counties with broadband. Many of these co-ops had been preparing to deploy networks but lacked the cash to begin a major project, especially in the most remote and sparsely populated parts of their territories. 

Article Link – https://www.cnet.com/news/how-coronavirus-stimulus-funds-helped-one-state-create-a-broadband-miracle/

Discussion Questions:

1. Identify three key takeaways from the article. What did you find most interesting?
2. Do you think there is a gap in broadband accessibility in this country? Is this a problem? Why or why not?
3. How was the coronavirus stimulus money used to get broadband Internet service to underserved areas of Mississippi? Do you think this was a good use of the funds?

Source: Marguerite Reardon, “www.cnet.com.”, February 25, 2021.