(SAVANNAH, Mo.) Governor Mike Parson toured northwest Missouri today touting the benefits and importance of broadband internet access.

At a stop in Savannah along with Senator Roy blunt, Parson said the problem of a lack of internet access has been magnified by the coronavirus pandemic.

He said it is not uncommon that some areas on the outskirts of urban areas have broadband service gaps as well as some rural areas.
Parson says that it's these gaps in service that hurt Missouri competing with other states in economic development.

“The big thing we’re trying to do is we visit these sites and realize and let them know how important this is for the future when it comes to tele-health or tele-medicine, and whether it be virtual schools, how do we make sure everybody can compete,” Parson said.“Especially our kids in our schools and our classrooms and our businesses and our farmers that need the internet in order to compete.”

Earlier this year, the state distributed $3 million to help expand broadband internet access. A recent FCC report showed 600,000 Missourians did not have access to broadband internet.