Alabama Gov, Bob Riley's effort to bring high-speed Internet access to all Alabamians has been awarded a $250,000 grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission. The Governor announced the Alabama Broadband Initiative during his State of the State Address in 2008. Its goal is to make high-speed Internet available to every community in the state within the next four years.
"Expanding broadband access is essential if our communities are to remain competitive in today's 21st century economy," said Governor Riley. "We must make sure every Alabamian has access to affordable, high-speed Internet service, regardless of where they live in our state."
The initial phase of the project is to research and map the current broadband infrastructure in the state. The Initiative will conduct a comprehensive inventory of existing broadband accessibility and produce a digitized map of the network. The map will serve as a resource for communities to show industrial recruiting prospects existing infrastructure, and will be a guide for the state's Internet service providers interested in filling in the gaps.
The second phase of the project is working with communities to develop local technology-growth plans. In addition to stimulating economic development, broadband can expand the availability of mental and physical healthcare and offer communities the opportunity for enhanced education, public safety, agri-business, tourism and e-government.
Riley created the Alabama Broadband Initiative by executive order in May and established a 15-member board to coordinate its efforts.
The Appalachian Regional Commission is a federal-state partnership that works to improve the region's economic development and quality of life.
