Texas Border Business
BROWNSVILLE, TX – Mayor Trey Mendez and the City of Brownsville Commission approved $19.5 million from American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds for broadband development, which will help eliminate the digital divide in Brownsville. The item was approved in a regularly scheduled City Commission meeting held on July 5, 2021.
The funding will allow for the implementation of a Middle Mile Broadband Network for installation of 95 miles of underground fiber to meet high-speed internet connectivity needs and demands. Through City leadership, this citywide initiative will expand broadband service to help improve internet accessibility, connectivity, and usage, for the entire Brownsville community by working in partnership with the Brownsville Public Utilities Board (BPUB) infrastructure, and anchor institutions. The issue was studied through the Broadband Feasibility and Digital Inclusion Plan, which reinforced the broadband disparity.
According to the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA), Brownsville is one of the worst connected cities in the country with the poorest access to fixed broadband. The current Covid-19 Pandemic brought to the forefront the need to improve connectivity in the interest of enhancing economic development and improve the quality of life for the City of Brownsville.
“We are one step closer to eliminating the digital divide in Brownsville and building the city of the future,” said Mayor Trey Mendez. “In today’s Information Age, internet access is a human right, and this initiative will ensure that the City of Brownsville stays connected in today’s globalized economy. Its impact will be felt immediately by local businesses and echo for generations to come as more of our children break education barriers through literacy and access to information.”
Through the American Rescue Plan (ARP), the City of Brownsville received $65 million dollars to support various citywide initiatives. The ARP is a federally funded program that assists state and local governments to address four primary functions:
• Responding to the Covid-19 Pandemic
• Supporting essential workers
• Recovering revenue loss for government services
• Investing in infrastructure for water, sewage, drainage, and broadband services
