Arkansas Co-ops Build Fiber Broadband Access to 1.4 Million Residents

Arkansas distribution cooperatives are celebrating building future-proof fiber optic broadband access to more than 1 million rural residents within seven years. “No longer does a person have to live in a metropolitan area to have access to lightning-fast internet service,” said Vernon “Buddy” Hasten, president/CEO of Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corp. and Arkansas Electric Cooperatives Inc. Fifteen Arkansas co-ops with broadband subsidiaries are equipped to serve a total of 1.4 million residents with nearly 53,000 miles of fiber in rural areas that can deliver gigabit speeds on par with the fastest internet service available anywhere. So far, about 41,000 miles of fiber have been deployed, connecting more than 170,000 subscribers and giving 72 of 75 counties in Arkansas access to co-op broadband. The co-ops have invested $1.66 billion in the estimated $2.2 billion broadband deployment and are hopeful for assistance from the federal Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program.