Veneeth Iyengar

Executive Director | ConnectLA

[Veneeth Iyengar @VeneethI]

Stories like this are why we do this work.

After Hurricane Ida knocked out 911 services in Livingston Parish, reliable broadband made a real difference for first responders.

Hear from Capt. Jack Varnado of @SheriffLPSO on what that's meant for the community.

[Veneeth Iyengar @VeneethI]

Excited to see Louisiana stand out in the latest @FCC data — 4th in the country for new broadband connections, with 52,000+ homes and businesses gaining access in just six months at more than 3x the national average!

Read more: https://t.co/ClF1fXNgYt

[Veneeth Iyengar @VeneethI]

Super proud of our partners @nxlink and @TaranaWireless on this one!

@Light_Reading recognized their activation earlier this year of the first BEAD-funded tower in the country — right here in Bienville Parish.

Louisiana keeps setting the standard!

@NTIAgov @CommerceGov @LAGovJeffLandry
https://t.co/wzXptRLW8Q

[Veneeth Iyengar @VeneethI]

Loved seeing our own Emmy Hicks bring Louisiana's perspective to @NTIAgov's State Broadband Leaders Network Summer Summit!

She joined peers from NTIA and @ARConnectASBO to talk about turning BEAD data into a tool for better decision-making and program oversight.

Great work, Emmy!

[Veneeth Iyengar @VeneethI]

Proactive coordination is one of the best investments we can make in getting communities connected, and our team has been proving that across Louisiana.

More than 150 events, nearly 600 agency contacts engaged, and federal environmental approvals down to just six days on average.

Louisiana is moving! Read more: https://t.co/CFwyNBUm50

[Veneeth Iyengar @VeneethI]

@mcuban Why not just spend the effort by the data center to over communicate its impact from the very beginning? Seeing is believing. We have built the best broadband office in the country in Louisiana with the same comms approach and it’s worked. Happy to share how we did this.

[Veneeth Iyengar @VeneethI]

Grateful to @LAGovJeffLandry for this appointment to the Louisiana Rural Health Transformation Program Advisory Council. Reliable broadband and rural health go hand in hand, and I look forward to contributing to this important work!

@LADeptHealth

[WBRZ News @WBRZ]

Gov. Jeff Landry has appointed Veneeth Iyengar, executive director of ConnectLA, to the Louisiana Rural Health Transformation Program Advisory Council. https://t.co/bjKSzUIhgr

[Veneeth Iyengar @VeneethI]

Really proud of this milestone!

Louisiana just cleared federal environmental reviews for more than 50,000 broadband locations through our GUMBO 2.0 program, moving us closer to full statewide coverage by 2028.

Read more: https://t.co/Yq5AOHWC32

[Veneeth Iyengar @VeneethI]

Excited to share that close to 15,000 locations across 23 parishes are on track to complete construction and gain access to reliable, high-speed internet by early 2027 through our GUMBO 2.0 program!

Really proud of what our ISP partners are building. Read more: https://t.co/F6HgfLV4Qk

[Veneeth Iyengar @VeneethI]

Louisiana just landed a generational win — @SpaceX is investing $100 billion in Starbase, Louisiana, creating more than 11,000 jobs across Acadiana!

Proud to be part of this partnership through our BEAD agreement bringing @Starlink service to Pecan Island and a 50% monthly discount on eligible plans for Vermilion Parish customers.

Read more about the announcement: https://t.co/RJjZ5NweZB

[Veneeth Iyengar @VeneethI]

Great session with our BEAD subgrantees today for our first office hours — covered a lot of ground on reporting, permitting, and construction as projects ramp up across the state. Lots of momentum heading into the fall!

[Veneeth Iyengar @VeneethI]

Proud to share that our GUMBO 1.0 program has crossed $100 million in infrastructure payments — a major milestone in our effort to connect every Louisiana community to reliable, high-speed internet by 2028 (if not sooner).

More than 49,000 locations served, 61.9% of payments to Louisiana-based companies, and the finish line is in sight! Read more: https://t.co/cLaFJ96TqD]

[Veneeth Iyengar @VeneethI]

Grateful to have been part of the groundbreaking for Friends of Crowville's new broadband-enabled community center in Franklin Parish a few months ago.

Watch their executive director Nick Poulos talk about the impact this facility will have on the community!

[Veneeth Iyengar @VeneethI]

Excellent piece from the @PelicanInst on Louisiana's broadband progress and what our partnership with @SpaceX's @Starlink means for communities across the state!
https://t.co/wSGvOsO32C

[Veneeth Iyengar @VeneethI]

Got to share Louisiana's broadband progress with county officials across the country at a recent @NACoCounties committee meeting — proud of what our team has built and where we're headed!
https://t.co/dD2f9OJAn5

[Veneeth Iyengar @VeneethI]

Special day in Rayville celebrating our friends at Volt Broadband bringing reliable, high-speed internet to nearly 7,000 locations across northeast Louisiana!

[Veneeth Iyengar @VeneethI]

@DavidsonNTIA Thanks for the mention! Greatly appreciate working with your team! Almost done with Vol.2

[Veneeth Iyengar @VeneethI]

@DavidsonNTIA @veneeth Thanks for the shoutout @DavidsonNTIA and your teams support! Get ready for Volume 2!

[Veneeth Iyengar @VeneethI]

@brianhaldane @LouisianaGov We are on track to eliminating the digital divide by 2029 if not sooner. More then 200,000 Households in Louisiana do not have access to high speed affordable and reliable internet.

[Veneeth Iyengar @VeneethI]

(2/2) To see the effect high-speed internet can have on small businesses like these, check out this story written by our former intern Sydney McGovern.
https://t.co/BN1Ans8ub7