Arkansas Broadband Office Gathering Input on State Plan
LITTLE ROCK – The freezing weather may have prevented citizens from appearing in person at three public hearings held by the Arkansas Broadband Office to gather input about plans to expand and improve Internet access in the state.
However, there is still time to submit comments. Arkansans have until January 25 to submit their comments online at broadband.arkansas.gov. That is the web address of ARConnect, the state Broadband Office.
It is called the Digital Skills and Opportunity Plan. It was written after state officials gathered data from over 12,000 survey responses, 32 focus groups and in-person visits to all 75 counties.
Extensive surveys proved invaluable. They revealed that many Arkansas communities are under-served, in spite of the fact that national maps developed from satellite imagery may indicate that they have access to high speed Internet.
According to the Broadband Office, the goal of the Digital Skills and Opportunity Plan is to form the most effective action plan for equipping all Arkansans with the digital skills necessary to succeed in the 21-century digital economy.
The Broadband Office will incorporate the public comments into the plan and submit it to federal officials. An effective plan will help Arkansas communities apply for the billions in grants that are becoming available for Internet expansion, particularly in rural areas.
The office is encouraging all stakeholders to visit broadband.arkansas.gov and review the plan. Then, they can provide feedback using the public comment form that is available at a link on the page.
ARConnect has joined with Heartland Forward, a Bentonville-based non-profit organization, to bring in representatives from Arkansas towns and counties.
Also helping to write the plan are members of the Arkansas Connectivity Coalition, which includes the University of Arkansas, University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service, Winrock International, Communities Unlimited and the Arkansas Black Mayors Association.
“It is important that as many Arkansans as possible provide feedback on this draft plan. Every voice matters to ensure the state’s plan is effective and accounts for the unique challenges that different segments of the state population face,” the director of the Broadband Office said.
The office scheduled three public hearings, in Batesville on January 18, in Prescott and Little Rock on January 19, but the snow and continued cold interfered with many people’s travel plans.
A new acronym is being used by local officials and telecommunications companies throughout the country that are working to expand broadband access. It is BEAD and it stands for the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program that has already allocated more than $1 billion to Arkansas for building and upgrading broadband networks. It also is being spent to improve the digital skills of Arkansas residents.
In August of last year the state Broadband Office submitted a five-year plan to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. It has details of the Arkansas strategy to eliminate its digital divide by 2028. It is a foundation for future efforts because it has a thorough analysis of existing broadband assets across the state, and identifies the areas where gaps in Internet access need to be eliminated.