State Clears Another Step for Broadband

LITTLE ROCK - Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Arkansas State Broadband Director Glen Howie announced Monday that the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has approved the second volume of Arkansas' initial proposal for the federallyfunded Broadband, Equity, Access and Deployment Program (BEAD) program.The approval enables Arkansas to request more than $1 billion in funding and begin implementation of the state's BEAD proposal. Volume 2 of the BEAD initial proposal details the state's plans for operating its broadband infrastructure grant program, requirements for potential appli-cants, and nondeployment priorities. Volume 2 addresses 16 requirements related to the BEAD program, including program objectives, planning processes, local coordination, and workforce readiness. According to data that Howie presented during a State Broadband Office regional meeting held at the University of Arkansas at Monticello in August, there are a total of 4,764 locations in Cleveland County eligible for broadband service under the BEAD program. Of those, 2,098 currently have access to a high speed internet service that provides a minimum of 100 download/20 upload speeds. That leaves 2,686 locations in the county that still need access to broadband. Howie estimated the grant amount for Cleveland County will be about $18.1 million.Howie explained that grant estimate for Cleveland County is based on 75 percent of what the expected total cost will be to install fiber optic broadband service to the unserved/underserved locations within the county. He said the internet service provider will be responsible for the other 25 percent that is not covered by the grant.As for the timeline as to when work on installing the fiber could begin, Howie told the Herald in an interview after the August meeting that he hopes actual installation could begin sometime after June 2025. "Reliable internet coverage is becoming a necessity for Arkansans' jobs, ...