New Coalition Aims to Prepare Deep East Texas Residents for a Broadband Boom

Roughly a billion federal dollars are flowing into Deep East Texas to expand high-speed internet access. Regional leaders are now turning to a different question: how to make sure residents can put that connectivity to use.

The Deep East Texas Council of Governments, known as DETCOG, has launched the Pineywoods Broadband Coalition to promote technology education and workforce development across the region. The effort reflects a wider statewide push to bring broadband and technology skills to rural areas.

"Before we started this work, 50% of our region was underserved or unserved with high-speed broadband. We're starting to see that table flip, and it's good news," said Connor Sadro, the council's broadband director.

Service varies widely from one community to the next. Some residents can hold video calls and stream movies, while others struggle to load a single website on a phone or tablet. That gap limits access to services such as telehealth and remote work. Sadro wants people who were not previously online to be able to navigate the internet with confidence, and he wants the region ready for the physical effects of construction and for the jobs that connectivity could create.

The coalition will begin with three initiatives. The first, digital navigation and adoption, would offer training for people who have never owned a laptop. Participants would learn basics such as charging and starting a computer and simple troubleshooting, along with how to attend telehealth appointments and video chats.

The second initiative focuses on coordinated infrastructure and funding. The grants cover several kinds of access, including fiber optics and satellite service such as Starlink. Satellite service will not greatly affect existing infrastructure, but fiber requires digging up the ground. Fiber expansion has already damaged water and gas lines, many of them installed in the 1970s and not upgraded since. The initiative would gather experts to map where utility lines are located and reduce the chance of disruptions.

The third initiative covers economic development and workforce. Bringing the whole region online would open up jobs ranging from fiber optic splicers to online certification opportunities. "If we bring the internet to this region, if we fill that gap of 50% underserved and unserved then 10,000 jobs are on the table," Sadro said.

Sadro said the coalition will not cost the council anything at the outset, since it has resources and volunteers to do the work. As plans develop, leaders may seek local, state and federal grants to cover costs.

The launch coincided with the council's celebration of the first phase of a larger regional broadband network that began in Newton County. The network will eventually reach six counties, and the first phase should be finished by the end of November, said DETCOG Executive Director Lonnie Hunt. "More than half of the beneficiaries who will be served by this project are low-to-moderate income households," Hunt said.

The first phase costs about $9 million, drawn from a $51 million Texas General Land Office grant and a match from the T.L.L. Temple Foundation. The remaining $42 million will not be released until the next two phases are bid out, Sadro said. The project is one of several underway since a 2019 council broadband study, which has shaped the region's approach and supported grant applications.

The council's board, made up of city council members, county judges and other community leaders from 11 counties, approved the coalition at an October meeting. Sadro hopes those members will either lead the effort or recommend the right person to do so.