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Kourtney Hollingsworth, regional broadband coordinator with Mississippi State University, will begin touring schools in every county starting with Tate.

With an Internet road show Wednesday at Coldwater High School starring University of Memphis Tiger Akeem Davis, the region's Hernando-based state broadband coordinator is launching a forward pass for cyber-opportunities.

"I'll be doing a school event in every county," said Kourtney Hollingsworth. Tate County, she said, "is the first county to begin the educational training for the use of broadband."

Since last August, from her base within the Mississippi State University Extension offices at 3260 U.S. 51 South in Hernando, the Laurel native has been making forays across an 11-county area, including DeSoto, to see where broadband is, where it isn't, and to assist making it available and making it better after it arrives. Now it's outreach time.

"While this event is for students and local officials, I'll be having community forums soon in every county," said Hollingsworth.

In 2009, the state made broadband connectivity a priority with the creation of the Mississippi Broadband Connect Coalition. The MBCC is developing a comprehensive plan to increase availability of broadband and improve Mississippians' digital literacy.

Hollingsworth is working with MSU Extension and the Southern Rural Development Center; the Extension Broadband Education and Adoption Team, or e-BEAT, consists of state and regional extension educators.

Hollingsworth says there are more than 26 million Americans without access of broadband, with 73 percent of those in rural areas such as the Delta. Research shows the lowest users of broadband are those without a high school education, single-parent households, and rural and low-income residents.

"I'm glad to see the government taking some initiative," said DeSoto Supervisor Bill Russell. "I get calls all the time about broadband service."

He said the lack of state-federal Internet regulatory authority hampers official efforts to push service providers, but forming citizen coalitions -- another Hollingsworth goal -- and spreading information are good starts to gaining wider broadband access.

Coldwater High is the first stop on her "Future Leaders of Mississippi -- the Text Generation" tour.

"This is one time students will be able to tweet, Facebook and chat during school hours," said Hollingsworth.

Proclamations by city mayors in Tate will be issued, and a short training session is scheduled. Speakers slated on the impact of Internet include Eliot Forest, a former Coldwater High student who works and lives in Washington; and University of Memphis football defensive back Davis, a native of Laurel in south-central Mississippi.

Hollingsworth's tour later will visit DeSoto, Tunica, Coahoma, Panola, Quitman, Yalobusha, Grenada, Marshall, Tallahatchie and Lafayette counties.

She said her mantra is a statement by President Barack Obama: "The world is going wireless, and we must not fall behind."

For more broadband information, call Kourtney Hollingsworth at (662) 429-1343, e-mail Kourtney@ ext.msstate.edu or go online at broadband.ms.gov.

-- Henry Bailey: (901) 333-2012

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Internet outreach kicks off in Tate County