Feb 5, 2025
Powering Rural Communities With Fiber
The Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas thank the Arkansas State Broadband Office (ASBO) for its continued efforts in supporting providers who are bringing life-changing, high-speed fiber internet to rural areas of the state.
Starting in 2025, the ASBO’s Arkansas Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program will provide grants to help build and upgrade high-speed internet to unconnected and under-connected homes and businesses.
Through self-funded fiber investments coupled with grant subsidies, electric cooperative fiber providers have now delivered broadband capability to more than 1 million Arkansans throughout the state.
“Upon completion of the current cooperative fiber projects, 53,000 miles of fiber will be installed in rural areas and provide high-speed, dependable internet service to more than 1.3 million Arkansans,” Rob Roedel, senior director of Corporate Communications for the Arkansas Electric Cooperatives, Inc. and Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corporation said.