The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has approved the full initial proposal for Arkansas for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program. Arkansas will now have access to over $1 billion to fund BEAD projects. The state can now move to the implementation phase of the BEAD program, during which it can select providers and projects to deploy broadband. Arkansas will have one year to submit a final proposal that details the outcome of the subgrantee selection process and how the state will ensure service to all unserved and underserved locations. Arkansas’s approval brings the total number of jurisdictions with full approval of their initial proposals to 49.
