In their latest issue brief, “Broadband in Alabama’s Black Belt in 2025,” the University of Alabama’s Education Policy Center, EPC, details the history of Alabama’s broadband expansion effort under the Ivey administration, the strides that have been made in extending high-speed internet throughout the state, and the challenges that policymakers continue to face.
The EPC report begins by detailing the numerous actions taken by Governor Ivey and the state legislature since 2018 to expand Alabama’s broadband network, labeling the pursuit as one of the landmark initiatives of Ivey’s governorship. In general, the report finds that the Ivey administration’s broadband investment has been largely successful, quoting the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society which in 2025 stated that “Alabama has become a national model for state initiative and success in broadband policy and strategy.”
Indeed, the Ivey administration has overseen the extension of the Alabama Fiber Network’s, AFN, “middle-mile” broadband backbone to all 67 Alabama counties, laying more than 3,500 miles of fiber optic cable through American Rescue Plan, ARPA, funds alone. In total, the state has invested $2.5 billion in state and federal funds into broadband expansion since 2018.
But while the EPC report acknowledges “the tremendous progress” that has been made in expanding broadband access throughout the state, the authors also stress that persistent gaps in coverage remain. Alabama’s broadband coverage remains lower than the national average and most other Southern states, and several counties–predominantly in the Black Belt–remain underserved or completely unserved by broadband.
According to the report, 87 percent of Alabama residents currently have access to internet with speeds of at least 100/20 megabits per second (Mbps), lower than both the national average of 94 percent and the Southern average of 93 percent. Alabama currently ranks 14th out of 17 Southern states in coverage, only ahead of Louisiana, Mississippi and West Virginia.
Alabama’s coverage gaps are most acutely felt in its rural counties and particularly in the Black Belt. Only 76 percent of Black Belt residents have access to internet with speeds of at least 100/20 Mbps, compared to the 89 percent coverage rate in non-Black Belt counties. Of Alabama’s 7 “unserved” counties, 4 are in the Black Belt, and of the 7 “underserved” counties, 6 are in the Black Belt. Meanwhile, eight Black Belt counties continue to experience high-speed coverage rates of less than 50 percent.
Given this disparity, the EPC recommends that Alabama’s policyleaders focus funding–namely the $1.4 billion allocated to the state by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, NTIA, through its Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment, BEAD, program–on expanding broadband access in the Black Belt specifically, bringing the region in line with the rest of the state. Currently, Alabama is awaiting final approval of its BEAD proposal by the NTIA before it can begin distributing funds.
Additionally, the report recommends that state policyleaders look beyond BEAD funding to ensure that the Black Belt can receive the broadband access it needs even if some providers ultimately default on their contracts. The report also recommends that lawmakers take steps to “maximize infrastructure use”–advocating for additional investments into services like digital literacy support to ensure that Alabamians in underserved communities can effectively utilize the new broadband infrastructure once it becomes available.
The EPC report concludes by applauding the state’s “significant progress over the past five years,” specifically highlighting the increase in high-speed internet access in Choctaw County (0 to 24 percent) and Perry County (0 to 27 percent) as evidence of real progress in broadband expansion.
“The goal of extending universal broadband access is achievable, assuming sustained commitment, good leadership, and creative policy and programs,” the report states.
Simultaneously, the report emphasizes that “much work remains,” as the Black Belt continues to be underserved relative to the rest of the state.
“Addressing the persistent digital divide is a foundational element for enabling telehealth services, facilitating equitable educational opportunities, and driving economic development and improved quality of life across the Black Belt region,” the authors conclude.
With Ivey set to leave office in 2027, Alabama’s next governor will be tasked with building upon the current administration’s success, addressing the coverage gaps that remain, and working to ensure the state ultimately reaches its goal of universal broadband coverage.
