Jackson Free Press

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi Public Service Commissioner Sam Britton is calling for high-speed internet to reach residents in all parts of the state.

Britton said in a statement Tuesday that Mississippi is ranked 49th in connectivity, and that nearly 30 percent of the state's residents lack broadband service.

Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley is among those who see electric cooperatives as a way to increase access. Mississippi law currently bans electrical cooperatives from offering internet service.

Presley, a Democrat representing the state's northern district, says he expects lawmakers to consider dropping that ban in 2019.

Presley has said that Alabama has fast internet speeds at low prices provided by electrical cooperatives, even in very rural areas. He says that if it can be done in Alabama, it can be done in Mississippi.