Allen Parish leaders are working on securing some of the state’s funds, $375 million to be exact, which were set aside to extend broadband internet services to rural areas of the state.
Leaders created a special committee, the Allen Parish Broadband Committee, from members of its Allen Parish School Board, Allen Parish Library, Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana, Allen Parish Police Jury, Oberlin, Kinder, Reeves, Oakdale and Elizabeth. The second part of their plan is to get the public involved in testing its internet services from all locations in the parish. That data will be used when applying for a grant from the fund of $375 million.
Jacob Dillehay, parish engineer for APPJ, said the parish needs the data from these tests for the application. So, leaders are utilizing social media by asking residents to go to the jury’s Facebook™ page (https://m.facebook.com/allenparishpolicejury) and use the link to the test site for broadband (https://dra.gov/research/broadband-mapping/#speedtest).
The results of tests already completed in the parish, as well as the state, also can be found.
The parish needed the data by early October, but because of Hurricane Ida, the application process has been extended from November 1, to December 31. Dillehay is encouraging residents to check their internet speed by utilizing the link on the parish’s website. He said they are learning as this early data is acquired that many people who thought their internet speed was fast, doesn’t come close to what broadband internet would bring to the parish.
“If you look at the map,” Dillehay said, “You will see about 50 red dots in Oakdale and only three green dots which met the speed required for broadband.”
When looking at the map, Dillehay pointed toward Reeves where he said there are about 15 to 20 dots, and he knows there are a lot more homes in that area with internet that are not shown on the map. That data is needed, so he is encouraging communities like Reeves, Grant, Mittie, Elizabeth and Soileau to log on to the website and test their internet speed. The data also illustrates the speed difference from one community to the next and even one neighbor to the next one. It even compares Allen to other parishes.
Leaders hope the data will result in funds being given to Allen Parish to give access to broadband internet speed to more areas of the parish, especially rural areas.
Dillehay says the sooner people in the parish take the test, the better, so they can show the state how much they need the extra funds for residents in Allen Parish.
