More than 10,000 rural locations across over 50 Louisiana parishes will get Starlink high-speed internet by the end of summer under a new state grant agreement.
Fiber was deemed too costly for some of the hardest-to-reach homes, pushing Louisiana to use satellite service where building out wired connections would take longer and make less economic sense.
Customers in the program will receive Starlink equipment for free and pay about $55 a month for service that state officials said consistently exceeds Louisiana’s 100 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload broadband standard.
Louisiana still expects fiber to cover 98%-99% of the state, with Starlink and fixed wireless reserved for the remaining areas where fiber cannot be installed cost-effectively.
With Starlink's subsidized rates, what is the long-term plan to keep rural internet affordable after federal funds are depleted?
As Louisiana subsidizes Starlink, are local internet providers being driven out of the very communities they were built to serve?
Louisiana’s $176 Million Starlink Deal: A Tech-Neutral Model for Universal Rural Broadband Access
Overview
Louisiana has signed a major contract with SpaceX’s Starlink to expand high-speed internet to over 10,000 locations in 50 parishes, focusing on remote and rural areas where building fiber optic networks is difficult. Starlink’s satellite technology is effective in places where traditional methods can’t reach and consistently meets the state’s high-speed internet standards. This initiative is part of the federal BEAD program, with Louisiana’s broadband office encouraging competition among providers to ensure reliable and fast internet access for underserved communities, helping bridge the digital divide across the state.