Connect Arkansas looking to conduct pilot program in Faulkner County

The Faulkner County Budget and Finance Committee approved a resolution to take before the full court during Tuesday's meeting to approve a study on Broadband internet service throughout the county.

County Administrator Jeff Johnston said he and County Judge Preston Scroggin met with Connect Arkansas, which is working on getting Broadband internet throughout the state. The group, Johnston explained, has selected Faulkner County for a pilot program.

"What they do is they come into the county and they spot these, islands, or places, that do not have access (to Broadband) and they work with the vendors for proprietary information under the agreement that they'll not share it with anybody," Johnston said. "They are basically the go-between between the vendors."

Justice of the Peace Randy Ingram asked if the organization would connect patrons to the Web via satellite or DSL.

"DSL will only go so far," Ingram said. "And they are stretching it past the limit in cable."

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Johnston added that the group may come up with solutions for wireless internet. Justice Dianna Kellar interjected that she was unable to connect to wireless Internet from her home in Greenbrier. Ingram added that he cannot access wireless service from his home in Enola either.

"I live to far away from the Holland remote," Ingram said.

Ingram said that every small city in the county could access broadband, so the program would affect only rural areas.

"I think they chose this area because it wouldn't be much work. It would just be in the rural areas," Johston said. "They want that the whole state, eventually, to be where anywhere you go in the whole state (people can connect)," Johnston said of the group's aim.

According to a proposal by Ed Allis, executive director of governmental affairs for AT&T in Arkansas, posted the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation Web site, "Connect Arkansas was established by Act 604 (sponsored by Senator Capps) passed by the 86th General Assembly. ... Among other things it is designed to map broadband availability in Arkansas and stimulate demand through education of users regarding the benefits of broadband."

In addition, the proposal said Connect Arkansas will be modeled after Connect Kentucky which increased broadband use from 60 to 93 percent within the state of Kentucky.

Allis added, "Connect Kentucky anticipates the creation of over 15,000 jobs and the addition of over $5B to the Gross State Product annually."

If the resolution passes, the county judge will be authorized to submit a formal request to the Arkansas Economic Development Commission to assist the group in their study.

The resolution will go before the full court Tuesday.

(Staff writer Monica Hooper can be reached by e-mail at monica.hooper@thecabin.net or by phone at 505-1266. Send us your news at www.thecabin.net/submit)