Arkansas Disburses First BEAD Funding, Marks Major Program Milestone

The Arkansas State Broadband Office has disbursed the State’s first funding through the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment 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.