As hard as it is to believe, there will still be Arkansans without internet access in 2024. Now there’s a federal funding program that could change that.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — A lack of broadband access affects millions of Americans every day, especially in Arkansas.
“We believe that to this day, there are approximately 160,000 homes and businesses in Arkansas that lack Internet service at all,” said state broadband director Glen Howie.
However, with a new infrastructure bill proposed by President Joe Biden, Arkansas will receive just over $1 billion in funding, hopefully solving the problem once and for all.
“There is no more powerful tool for economic security and personal freedom than high-speed internet,” Howie explained.
Arkansas has ranked fairly low on broadband access in the past, and Howie explained they hope the new plan will give them a better idea of the extent of the problem.
“The State Broadband Office has released a new and improved State Broadband Map. Previous versions of the map were detailed by district or region. This new and improved version of our State Broadband Map is actually detailed at the location level, So every home, every business, every community anchor, like schools, fire stations, hospitals, is literally on our map and more,” he described.
Howie also explained that starting next week, ISPs, nonprofits and local government units will be able to log into the challenge portal we have and begin challenging locations across the state.
Another addition this time around is that for the first time in history, Arkansas will be able to look at a map and determine for themselves whether it is accurate based on experiences near their home.
“For example, if the map says they have good internet service but they don’t have service at all, they need to challenge that and let us know there’s a problem,” Howie added.
All key points in making sure everyone across the state, no matter where they are, has access to the internet, he said.
“This impacts everything we do, from economic development, workforce development, quality of life, and we want to be the leading state in that process,” Howie said.
To find more information about Internet access, click here.