05/07/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 05/07/2024 09:38
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced the Department's Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $2.2 million grant to the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana in Elton, Louisiana, to construct fiber optic cable on Tribal land in both Allen and Jefferson Parish.
This grant will construct fiber optic cable along U.S. 165, bringing high-speed internet service to nearby residents and businesses. This EDA investment will be matched with $550,000 in local funds.
"President Biden's Investing in America agenda is a commitment to ensuring that Tribal communities in Louisiana and across the country have the resources needed to grow strong, resilient regional economies - and that includes affordable, reliable, highspeed internet," said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. "This EDA investment will provide fiber optic cable to bring reliable high-speed internet service to Tribal land, supporting business growth and creating a stable regional economy."
"The Economic Development Administration works closely with Tribal communities to support place-based economic growth," said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Alejandra Y. Castillo. "This investment in the Coushatta Tribe will create new opportunities for business growth and provide high-speed internet service to support nearby workers, telehealth, and remote education, helping to diversify the local economy."
This project is funded under the Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2023, which provided EDA with $483 million in additional Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA) Program funds for disaster relief and recovery for areas that received a major disaster declaration under the Robert T. Stafford Actas a result of Hurricanes Ian and Fiona, wildfires, flooding, and other natural disasters occurring in calendar years 2021 and 2022. Please visit EDA's Disaster Supplemental webpagefor more information.
About the U.S. Economic Development Administration (www.eda.gov)