ARKANSAS, USA — On Monday, June 26, the government announced how it has allocated funding to all 50 states in an effort to establish affordable high-speed internet service to everyone, including Arkansans.
According to the Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announcement, Arkansas will receive $1,024,303,993.86 in funding— one of 19 states who received over $1 billion to go toward broadening internet access.
President Joe Biden on Monday said in a press conference that the goal of this funding is for high-speed internet to no longer be a luxury but an "absolute necessity," and pledged that every household in the U.S. would have access by 2030 using cables made in America.
“These investments will help all Americans,” he said. “We’re not going to leave anyone behind.”
The funding is coming from the $42.45 billion Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program from the Biden Investing in America infrastructure law.
“This is a watershed moment for millions of people across America who lack access to a high-speed Internet connection. Access to Internet service is necessary for work, education, healthcare, and more,” said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communication and Information Alan Davidson. “States can now plan their Internet access grant programs with confidence and engage with communities to ensure this money is spent where it is most needed.”
The internet access funding amounts depended primarily on the number of underserved locations in each state that lack access to internet download speeds.
Funding amounts range from $100.7 million for Washington, D.C., to $3.3 billion for Texas.
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