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Improving broadband infrastructure in West Texas

HB-9 passed the Texas House and Senate, if voted on by Texas is could provide billions of dollars to Broadband Infrastructure.

MIDLAND, Texas — West Texas has some of the biggest gaps when it comes to broad band infrastructure and during the Texas legislative session they passed HB-9 which would allocate billions of dollars to improving it.

"You know most of our urban areas have pretty good access, but a lot of our rural areas are lacking," said James Beauchamp with MOTRAN, or Midland-Odessa Transportation Alliance.

HB-9 passed the Texas House and the Senate, it's goal to expand broadband access.

"It would allow the use of severance tax about 1.5 billion to go to that same purpose, and that buildout of the infrastructure," said Beauchamp.

Something that would benefit rural areas in counties throughout West Texas.

"I think there's some positive that can come out of it," said Beauchamp. "Since that money would be coming from severance taxes, 70% of which are generated right here in the Permian Basin, we would hope that these areas would do well under that program and we're having some discussions there and waiting to hear back on that." 

Texans would have to vote for this bill to pass. Right now the Texas Comptroller office is asking Texas citizens to fill out a survey about their digital access. You can find that on comptroller.texas.gov.

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