Arkansas works towards statewide access

The Broadband Advisory Council and Connect Arkansas were both formed by the Arkansas Legislature, and are working towards statewide high speed Internet access. Representatives from these organizations as well as state government officials, academics and members of the business community recently came together during the fourth annual Breakthrough Solutions Conference in Little Rock.
 
The Broadband Advisory Council has released a report with recommendations on how to make high speed Internet access possible. Connect Arkansas is operated by Arkansas Capital Corp. and studies the availability of high speed Internet in Arkansas. Connect Arkansas plans to have a report on high speed Internet availability ready for legislators during the next legislative session.
 
According to Arkansas Capital Corp. CEO C. Sam Walls,

"I do not believe that you can overstate the importance of this project."

The report will include mapping of where service is offered, and where there are gaps in access. Jim Dailey, a former Little Rock mayor and a member of Connect Arkansas, explained that statewide high speed Internet access would make the state more attractive to businesses and that the Internet alone will create 8,000 jobs.

"That represents billions of dollars worth of additional income to state," he said. "We are losing ground if we're not doing everything we can to be competitive."

As has been demonstrated in Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia, Tennessee, and elsewhere across the nation, public-private partnerships that focus on mapping service gaps and looking for comprehensive approaches to closing the digital divide are multiplying, and proving to be effective. The Broadband Advisory Council and Connect Arkansas' work towards statewide access will pay off in spades.

Panel Discusses Progress Toward Statewide Broadband Access (Arkansas Business.com)
 
High Speed in the Blue Grass (Speed Matters)
 
Gov. Strickland kicks off Connect Ohio (Speed Matters)
 
Public and private efforts to connect West Virginia (Speed Matters)
 
Tennessee Creates Non-Profit To Improve High Speed Internet (Speed Matters)
 
Connected Nation (Connected Nation.com)