The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has approved the state of Arkansas’ final proposal for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, state officials said Tuesday (Nov. 25).
As part of the BEAD program, Arkansas has been allocated $1.024 billion in funding to deliver broadband access to more than 79,000 homes and businesses across the state. The Arkansas State Broadband Office (ARConnect) is responsible for administering the BEAD program and funding process at the state level.
Lonoke County will benefit greatly from the approved plan as communities across the county, including Keo, are slated to receive fiber-driven high-speed internet…