| October 13, 2026 Arkansas Disburses First BEAD Funding, Marks Major Program Milestone The Arkansas State Broadband Office (ARConnect) has disbursed the State’s first funding through the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program, marking another major milestone as Arkansas moves from program development and awards into project implementation. The first disbursement, totaling $2.6 million, was made to Brightspeed following completion of its first required project milestone. Brightspeed was awarded funding through Arkansas’ BEAD Program for 13 projects across 25 counties, which will ultimately connect more than 13,700 homes and businesses to high-speed internet. The projects span all regions of Arkansas. “This is an important milestone, but more importantly, it’s another sign that Arkansas’ BEAD Program is moving from plans on paper to real work in communities across our state,” said Glen Howie, Director of the Arkansas State Broadband Office. “Our approach is straightforward: providers complete the work, demonstrate they have met the required milestone, and then funding is disbursed. That structure protects taxpayers, creates accountability, and keeps the focus where it belongs, on delivering reliable, high-speed internet to Arkansans who still need it.” “We’re excited to continue our partnership with Arkansas to bring fast, reliable connectivity to more unserved and underserved communities,” Marcy Mealy, senior manager of broadband grant reporting and compliance at Brightspeed, said. “Through these 13 projects, we’ll work alongside the state to build fiber to more than 13,700 homes and businesses, representing a total investment of nearly $66 million, including more than $39 million in private capital from Brightspeed. We know connectivity is about more than technology – it’s about connecting people to the opportunities and resources that matter in their everyday lives. We appreciate Arkansas’ leadership in expanding high-speed internet access and look forward to continuing our work together to bring reliable, high-quality broadband to communities across the state.” Arkansas administers BEAD funding through a fixed-amount subaward model, meaning funding is disbursed following the completion and verification of predetermined project milestones rather than reimbursement of individual project expenses. The $2.6 million disbursement represents completion of Milestone 1 for Brightspeed’s 13 BEAD projects. To complete the milestone, Brightspeed was required to submit key project development and pre-construction deliverables, including its project plans, project budgets, NEPA milestone schedules, and network designs. These requirements are designed to ensure projects have completed critical planning and engineering work before advancing further toward construction and subsequent funding milestones. Arkansas received $1.024 billion through the federal BEAD Program to expand high-speed internet access across the state. Through a competitive, market-driven process, Arkansas secured commitments to serve more than 77,000 under-connected homes and businesses statewide. Additional milestone-based disbursements will occur as BEAD awardees advance their projects and satisfy the requirements established under their respective grant agreements. About the Arkansas State Broadband Office The Arkansas State Broadband Office (ARConnect), housed within the Arkansas Department of Commerce, was established in 2019 to expand access to reliable, high-speed internet across the state. Since its creation, the office has awarded more than $800 million in broadband funding to projects covering more than 200,000 homes and businesses across Arkansas. These investments have helped position Arkansas as a national leader in broadband expansion, including leading the nation in broadband connectivity growth. Arkansas has also been recognized by the Center for Digital Government with its Outstanding Achievement Award for Enterprise Computing and Broadband Expansion. |
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Arkansas Disburses First BEAD Funding, Marks Major Program Milestone
