For Immediate Release:                    Contact:

August 14, 2009                                   Scot Byrd, Director of Economic Development

                                                            Phone:  (225) 240-2280

                                                            Email:   pointecoupeechamber@yahoo.com

Pointe Coupee Chamber of Commerce Sponsors Broadband Grant

NEW ROADS, LA – The Greater Pointe Coupee Chamber of Commerce has provided funding to Rural Community Broadcasting Service to help pay a consultant to write a grant to bring rural residents of Pointe Coupee Parish, West Feliciana Parish, and East Feliciana Parish with high speed internet service.  Many local community business leaders and congressional leaders have also written letters of support to endorse this initiative. 

We expect that this will improve a number of important services that will improve the lives of our residents; including rapid deployment of medical information to health care providers, home based businesses, furthering education online, communicating important civic information to residents, multi-media instructional materials for students, improved emergency operations communications, and infrastructure necessary to bring additional business opportunities and jobs to Pointe Coupee.

The grant being applied for is part of the Obama Administration’s stimulus package, funded through the USDA Rural Utilities Service.  Over $7 billion has been set aside to provide broadband capacity to rural areas.

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