Internet access expands across Avoyelles, though gaps remain

By: Amy Ducote

Internet access has expanded substantially across Avoyelles Parish in recent years, although Census estimates indicate some children still live in homes without a dedicated internet subscription.

The most recent U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey estimate shows about 845 children under age 18 in Avoyelles Parish living in households reporting no internet subscription, or about 9.1 percent of the parish’s children. That compares with 6 percent statewide and 4.4 percent nationally.

Those figures come from the Census Bureau’s 2020-2024 five-year estimate and therefore include several years before much of Avoyelles Parish’s recent broadband expansion was completed. They also should not be interpreted as a current count of children who cannot obtain internet service.

Louisiana created the GUMBO broadband program in 2021 and began making its first major infrastructure awards in 2022. The large Swyft Fiber project in Avoyelles Parish formally broke ground in July 2023, beginning a multi-year buildout of fiber into rural areas that previously had limited or no high-speed service. Construction continued through 2024 and 2025 and into 2026, with additional projects targeting remaining areas of the parish.

That timeline is important when considering the Census numbers. A five-year estimate covering 2020 through 2024 includes years before the GUMBO construction began as well as the early years of the buildout. It therefore may not fully reflect the broadband infrastructure available to Avoyelles residents today.

The original major GUMBO project awarded to Cable South/Swyft Fiber in Avoyelles was designed to extend high-speed fiber service to 7,823 households and 292 businesses. Swyft Fiber now lists service in communities including Marksville, Mansura, Bunkie, Plaucheville, Cottonport and Moreauville.

Becky Spencer, technology supervisor for Avoyelles Parish Schools, said the expansion has made a noticeable difference.

“Home internet access has improved because internet providers have laid cabling to allow families to purchase internet throughout Avoyelles Parish through the GUMBO grant,” Spencer said.

That distinction is important. Census data measures whether a household reports having an internet subscription. It does not necessarily mean broadband infrastructure is unavailable at that home.

Some households may have broadband service available but choose not to maintain a separate home subscription. Others may rely on cellular service or cellphone hotspots. Cost can still be a problem for some families, but it is only one of several possible reasons a household may not have a traditional home internet connection.

The school district does not currently have an estimate of how many Avoyelles Parish students lack reliable internet at home. The Census estimate also includes all children in the parish, not just public school students, and carries a margin of error of approximately 367 children.

For students who do have connectivity difficulties, schools can provide some assignments in paper or offline formats. Some campuses have outdoor Wi-Fi access, and families can also use computers and internet service at Avoyelles Parish Library branches.

The district said it has not seen a lack of home internet significantly affect student learning or attendance.

Louisiana’s broadband expansion is continuing. GUMBO 1.0 represents roughly $176 million in statewide broadband investment, with projects designed to connect more than 65,000 locations.

For Avoyelles Parish, the numbers show two things can be true at once: some families still do not have a home internet subscription, but broadband availability today is considerably different from what it was only a few years ago.

The digital divide has not disappeared, but the infrastructure built through GUMBO has helped make it considerably smaller.