AAC
which I’d like to talk about today. Earlier this year, I created a steering committee to study our needs and recommend the best use of federal money that is returning to the state through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, also known as the CARES Act. Te members of the committee recognized that many rural communities in our state are in dire need of better access to high-speed internet. Senate President Jim Hendren and House Speaker Mat-
C
thew Shepherd of the General Assembly advocated for the expenditure of $100 million for Arkansas Rural Connect, a great program to assist our local communities in expanding internet access. Te coronavirus has limited many of our normal activities, such as attending school and visiting a doctor. Te internet has allowed us to adapt to the difficulties. Without effective broadband, many Arkansans would not be able to adapt and access distance learning or keep a telemedicine appointment with a doctor.
Te state has made grants to seven companies: $1.6 million
to Arkansas Telephone Company to serve parts of Fairfield Bay; $1.9 million to Pinnacle Communications for parts of Ozark; $2 million to CableSouth Media 3 to serve Lonoke and $2 million for Hamburg; $449,000 was granted to Premier Holdings for Nashville; Hillbilly Wireless will receive $497,000 for Cotton Plant and another $804,000 for Cave City. Magazine Telephone Company will receive a little more
OVID-19 has highlighted some of the short- comings of our broadband connectivity, but the pandemic also has created opportunities for us to accelerate our expansion of internet service,
FROM THE GOVERNOR Leveling the broadband playing field
than a million dollars in non- CARES Act money for Magazine. In another of our ongoing
efforts to expand broadband service, the legislature created the Rural Broadband I.D. Expenses Trust Fund. Tis money is being awarded as one-time grants to help service providers meet rigor- ous requirements for due diligence for large federal grant programs with the United States Department of Agriculture and the Federal Communications Commission. Rural Broadband I.D. is based at UAMS’s Office of Digital
Hon. ASA
HuTCHINSON Governor of Arkansas
Health and Innovation. With Rural Broadband I.D., we are deploying a broader and more detailed strategy for expanding broadband across the most rural parts of our state. Broadband service must download at a rate of at least 25 megabits per second and upload at 3 megabits per second, which would load a normal song in one second and a two- hour movie in 10 minutes. Broadband at these speeds will level the playing field as
we compete on a global scale. Arkansans in rural communi- ties will have access to the same information and services as people in Fort Smith and Fayetteville.
Asa Hutchinson
Te Honorable Asa Hutchinson Governor of Arkansas
We want to hear from YOU Tell us your good news. Be sure to let us know if
an aspect of county government “made news” re- cently in your county. Or if your county officials or staff get an award, appointment or pat on the back. We want the whole state to know about your suc- cesses and accomplishments.
Contact Communications Director Christy L. Smith at
csmith@arcounties.org.
COUNTY LINES, SUMMER 2020 11
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48
