What a Broadband Preemption Victory in Arkansas Means For Rural Cities

Arkansas ranks 50th in connectivity and has an average speed of 29.1 megabits per second (Mbps). The average speed for the United States is 42.7 Mbps. But that could soon change. Until recently, the AR legislature preempted local governments from establishing municipal broadband services, leaving AR communities at the mercy of private companies focused on profit. Now, AR is looking to build the infrastructure it needs now for all of its communities, urban and rural. The state’s legislature, with help from the AR Municipal League and other organizations, unanimously passed a bill overturning the state’s eight-year-old municipal broadband preemption law. The bill was signed into law by Gov Asa Hutchinson (R-AR) on March 6. Now, towns in AR can work towards providing their citizens with quality internet access. This has the potential to be a national movement, as other states like Mississippi have taken similar actions.