High-speed internet access is increasing in Bolivar County, bringing greater connectivity to hundreds of residents, as well as local businesses and agricultural facilities. This week, I joined state and local officials, business leaders, and community members at a groundbreaking ceremony in Mound Bayou. We celebrated a new, $3.5 million broadband project, a development which builds on the county’s legacy and signals its bright future.

For too long, Mississippians have been left out of these buildouts. That is not acceptable in the modern economy, and it has kept some communities from access to online education, telehealth, and communications tools. There is good news. In the last few years, Mississippians have been working to solve this problem. The event in Mound Bayou proves that these efforts are succeeding.

In Congress, I have made it a priority to expand broadband access. The federal government uses internet coverage maps to determine which areas of the country merit broadband grants. I found that their maps were flawed and did not allow adequate help to flow to Mississippi. After requiring that officials update their data to reflect real coverage gaps, I helped negotiate and pass a law that has brought our state more funding for broadband coverage – including the grant used for the new project.

Like railroad, electricity, and highway expansions before it, broadband buildout spurs economic development. High-speed internet is no longer a luxury. Fiber wires literally connect businesses to customers. Young people use this tool to expand their horizons with long-distance learning. Loved ones rely on it to stay in touch with one another.

Soon, more Bolivar County residents than ever before will have those opportunities. It is my hope that this investment will help write the latest chapter for the storied city of Mound Bayou and for the communities that surround it. The project will create a cycle of growth that benefits the area and even our entire state. When we put shovels in the dirt on Monday, we broke the latest, but certainly not the last, ground in our work to connect Mississippi.