Dallas County government on Tuesday launched a $30 million plan to bring high-speed internet service to residents across the county.

It’s estimated that about 24,000 households across the county don’t have internet access. To fix that, the county will use $28 million from the American Rescue Plan Act to fund a plan it calls the Middle Mile and Digital Equity Project.

“Unfortunately, in 2024, we’re still talking about a tale of two cities,” said Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price. “We’re talking about a food desert. We know there are a lot of deserts in the southern sector, but the pandemic has shown very clearly, succinctly and crystal clear that the internet desert is definitely in the South.”

The county is working with communications infrastructure provider Zayo to build a “middle mile” fiber optic network in Dallas County, from which local internet service providers can offer competitive high-speed service to residents in 10 zip code areas across the county.

Officials agree that access is urgently needed in certain areas of the country.

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“There is a digital divide in Dallas County. If southern Dallas County were its own city, it would be one of the 10 least connected cities. If northern Dallas County were its own city or county, it would be one of the 10 most connected cities in the country,” said Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins.

According to a statement, Zayo is also partnering with Texas-based national nonprofit Compudopt to distribute 300 laptops with technical support and warranties to students and school-age children in Dallas County. The $150,000 investment will be made over two years.