Arkansas State Broadband Plan Issued by the Office of Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson Key Contributors: Arkansas Development Finance Authority Economic Policy Division and the Arkansas Department of Information Systems May 15, 2019 1 | Arkansas State Broadband Plan Table of Contents Introduction ................................................................................................................................................... 5 I. THE GOVERNOR’S GOAL FOR BROADBAND: 25/3 BY 2022, IN POPULATION CENTERS OF 500 OR MORE ............................................................................................................................................. 8 II. THE COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE FOR BROADBAND SERVICE ............................................... 12 A. Technologies ...................................................................................................................................... 15 1. DSL ................................................................................................................................................. 17 2. Cable ............................................................................................................................................... 18 3. Fiber ................................................................................................................................................ 19 4. Fixed Wireless ................................................................................................................................ 21 5. Mobile Data .................................................................................................................................... 22 6. Satellite ........................................................................................................................................... 23 B. Performance Metrics .......................................................................................................................... 24 1. Bandwidth (“Speed”) ...................................................................................................................... 24 2. Latency ............................................................................................................................................ 25 3. Packet Loss ..................................................................................................................................... 26 4. Reliability ........................................................................................................................................ 26 5. Security ........................................................................................................................................... 26 C. Adoption Rates ................................................................................................................................... 26 III. FEDERAL FUNDING SOURCES FOR RURAL BROADBAND ..................................................... 27 A. FCC ................................................................................................................................................. 28 Lifeline Program ................................................................................................................................. 28 High Cost Support ............................................................................................................................... 30 Connect America Fund Model-Based Support ................................................................................... 31 CAF II Auction 903 ............................................................................................................................ 34 A-CAM ............................................................................................................................................... 38 B. USDA RUS ..................................................................................................................................... 40 ReConnect ........................................................................................................................................... 40 Community Connect ........................................................................................................................... 44 Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grants ...................................................................................... 44 Rural Broadband Access Loan and Loan Guarantee .......................................................................... 45 Telecommunications Infrastructure Loans and Guarantees ................................................................ 45 2 | Arkansas State Broadband Plan Conclusion .............................................................................................................................................. 45 Case Study: The Mobility Fund II Challenge Process ............................................................................ 45 IV. STATE BROADBAND OFFICE ......................................................................................................... 47 V. ARKANSAS HIGH COST FUND ........................................................................................................ 48 VI. STATE ASSETS IN THE BROADBAND SPACE ............................................................................. 50 ARE-ON ................................................................................................................................................. 51 E-Link ..................................................................................................................................................... 51 Arkansas Department of Transportation ................................................................................................. 52 Arkansas State Network .......................................................................................................................... 52 Arkansas Public School Computer Network (APSCN) .......................................................................... 52 Arkansas Public Safety Broadband Network (FirstNet) ......................................................................... 52 Arkansas Wireless Information Network (AWIN) ................................................................................. 53 Leveraging E-Link: An Example of How a State Asset Might Be Used to Promote Consumer Broadband ............................................................................................................................................... 53 VII. BROADBAND AND EDUCATION .................................................................................................. 53 A. Arkansas is a Leader in Deploying Broadband in K-12 Schools .................................................... 53 B. Arkansas’s Coding Initiative is Preparing Young Arkansans for Life in the Digital Age .............. 55 Enrollment Growth ............................................................................................................................. 55 Curriculum Development .................................................................................................................... 55 Funding ............................................................................................................................................... 55 C. Opportunities in Online Education ................................................................................................. 55 D. Educating the Public ....................................................................................................................... 56 VIII. BROADBAND AND AGRICULTURE ............................................................................................ 60 IX. BROADBAND AND HEALTH .......................................................................................................... 61 Future Digital Health Applications .......................................................................................................... 64 X. BROADBAND MAPPING ................................................................................................................... 65 XI. ACCESS RIGHTS FOR BROADBAND DEPLOYMENT ................................................................. 67 A. Utility Poles .................................................................................................................................... 67 B. Towers............................................................................................................................................. 70 Over-the-Air Reception Devices (OTARD) ....................................................................................... 70 XII. BROADBAND READINESS REQUIREMENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR NEW BUILDINGS AND INFRASTRUCTURE ................................................................................................. 71 A. Dig Once: Letting Fiber Conduit Piggyback on Other Infrastructure Projects ............................... 72 B. Building Codes and Broadband Readiness ..................................................................................... 72 3 | Arkansas State Broadband Plan XIII. RECENT BROADBAND-RELATED STATE LEGISLATION ...................................................... 73 A. Act 198 of 2019 .................................................................................................................................