AR: NTIA Approves Arkansas’ BEAD Final Proposal

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has approved the State of Arkansas’ Final Proposal for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program.

As part of the BEAD program, the State of Arkansas has been allocated $1.024 billion in funding to deliver broadband access to more than 79,000 homes and businesses across the state. The Arkansas State Broadband Office (ARConnect) is responsible for administering the BEAD program and funding process at the state level.

“Thanks to Arkansas’ low cost of living and fast-growing economy, more and more people are choosing to call the Natural State home, and they deserve access to the faster and more reliable connections that broadband offers,” said Governor Sanders. “Thanks to Secretary Lutnick, NTIA Administrator Roth, and the team at the Department of Commerce, we will be able to expand broadband access to tens of thousands of homes and businesses, building momentum that will drive Arkansas’ growth for years to come.”

NTIA’s approval of Arkansas’ Final Proposal is a pivotal next step for Arkansas’ BEAD grant funding.

"We are delivering the Benefit of the Bargain through the BEAD program that best serves the interests of the American people," said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick. "After stripping away burdensome rules and regulations and wasteful requirements, taxpayers will save billions in unnecessary costs while connecting those in need to high-speed broadband through the full spectrum of broadband technologies."

"The Trump Administration is on track to deliver universal connectivity in the United States once and for all, with huge cost savings for the American people," said Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator Arielle Roth. "The Final Proposals approved today show that the Benefit of the Bargain reforms are working and that our focus on results and strong oversight is paying dividends for communities across the country."

“Arkansas is proud to continue serving as one of the states leading this program nationally and be in the first wave of approvals for provisional grant selections,” said State Broadband Director Glen Howie. “This approval gets us one step closer to putting shovels in the ground to connect Arkansans who remain unconnected.”

In total, NTIA approved 18 states' Final Proposals this week, including the proposal from Arkansas, and these approved proposals are expected to save taxpayers approximately $6 billion. Arkansas’ total savings from the Benefit of the Bargain round is $700 million.  Other states and territories that were approved include Louisiana, Wyoming, Iowa, American Samoa, Georgia, Delaware, Guam, Maine, New Hampshire, Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, Connecticut, South Carolina, North Dakota, Hawaii, Montana, Rhode Island, and Virginia. To date, 53 out of 56 states and territories have submitted Final Proposals for the BEAD program with total savings to the American taxpayers estimated to be at least $21 billion.

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will now review Arkansas’ BEAD program budget.

Pending NIST review and subsequent appropriation approval by the Arkansas General Assembly, ARConnect anticipates construction on these projects to begin during the second quarter of 2026.