Arkansas Governor Urges Public Input on $1 B Broadband Plan; Breast Cancer Advisory Board to Meet

LITTLE ROCK, Aug. 26, 2025 - Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders today reminded Arkansans that the state’s $1 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) proposal is open for public review and comment through August 29. Speaking from the State Capitol, Sanders emphasized that expanding high-speed internet access is “about more than faster internet-it’s about opportunity for every Arkansas community”.

The final BEAD proposal, which secured preliminary awards totaling over $308 million and is slated for NTIA submission by September 4, will connect more than 79,000 homes and businesses using a mix of fiber, satellite, fixed wireless, and hybrid technologies. Sanders highlighted that Arkansas achieved bids covering 99 percent of eligible locations from multiple providers and urged residents to visit the Arkansas BEAD Webpage to submit feedback before the comment period closes.

Meanwhile, the Arkansas Department of Health’s Breast Cancer Control Advisory Board is set to convene this evening at 5 p.m. in Little Rock. The meeting, which Sanders’ office noted on its public calendar, will review statewide strategies for early detection, treatment access, and community outreach to reduce breast cancer mortality across Arkansas counties.

Looking ahead, Sanders will continue touring the state next week, meeting with local business leaders in the Delta region to discuss workforce development initiatives and inspecting ongoing rural broadband infrastructure projects funded under the BEAD program.