Copyright Baton Rouge Advocate
Louisiana has the fourth-lowest access to broadband internet in the United States, with 85% of households reporting broadband access in 2023. That's lower than the national average of 90%. Fast internet will reach rural Louisiana under revamped rules. Some towns still feel left out. Mississippi has the lowest broadband access in the U.S., with 82% of households connected, followed by New Mexico and West Virginia, tied at 84%. Only six Louisiana parishes had higher than the U.S. average for households with broadband access: St. Charles, St. Tammany, Ascension, Lafayette, Livingston and West Baton Rouge parishes. Broadband access is the percentage of households with a broadband internet connection through subscription. Broadband access measures access at any speed — yet, not all broadband is fast enough to meet the needs of all households. The minimum speed needed for activities like streaming videos or attending virtual classes can vary by household. In addition, this measure does not account for the reasons why a household does not have broadband access. Barriers to broadband access could be due to insufficient infrastructure, cost or lack of personal interest. The data is unable to "untangle these specific barriers," according to the National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities. These parishes had the lowest percentage of households with broadband access in 2023, in ascending order:
