Louisiana is using $160 million in broadband stimulus funds to expand broadband access to rural areas, including Washington, St. Helena and Tangipahoa parishes.

Sen. Mary Landrieu said the project would expand high-speed Internet access to more than 25,000 people and 3,000 businesses across the state.

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Here is a look at five new broadband access programs announced yesterday. The projects are primarily designed to increase rural broadband access while simultaneously creating jobs and expanding access to healthcare, education and other community services:

In Louisiana: The state will receive an $80 million investment to install fiber lines and broadband access across 3,488 miles, including 12 impoverished parishes. The funding will be distributed amongst the state’s Louisiana Broadband Alliance, a team drawing on the resources of six state agencies. Read the full story here.

In Minnesota: $13 million has been awarded to the state to help expand broadband access through many of the state’s 50 communities who have sought broadband project funding. "This is going to be a great thing for Jackson, Jackson County, for a long, long time to come," said Mitch Jasper, the mayor of Jackson, a city of about 3,500 in southwest Minnesota. Read the full story here.

In Ohio: The state has received federal grants and matching private sector funds to expand rural broadband access to businesses and homes. Rep. Charlie Wilson said, "Expanding small businesses and creating jobs are the keys to our economic recovery and it's tough to do that without expanding broadband," You can read the full story here.

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Four more states have announced plans to bring broadband access to underserved areas. The projects are designed to create new jobs, improve educational opportunities and close the digital divide. Here is a look at some of the projects getting underway:

In Georgia: The state has received $15 million to expand high-speed Internet access to underserved areas between Atlanta and Savannah. “Georgia has long recognized that broadband is the dial tone of the 21st century,” Gov. Sonny Perdue said in a statement. “These projects will help our state grow economically and compete on the global market.”

In Idaho: The state will receive nearly $12 million in grants and loans to expand broadband access to 3,770 underserved homes across the state.

In Louisiana: An $80 million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce will provide high-speed Internet access for 100,000 households, 15,000 businesses and 1,200 “anchor institutions,” including public libraries. “What we’re doing is almost like building a highway,” said Commerce Secretary Gary Locke. “The private sector can tap into it or connect to it and directly provide internet service to hundreds of thousand of homes.”

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