Arkansas Becomes First State in the Nation to Execute BEAD Grant Agreement with Amazon Leo

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (June 12, 2026) – The Arkansas State Broadband Office today announced the execution of a Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program grant agreement with Amazon Leo, making Arkansas the first state in the nation to execute a BEAD grant agreement with Amazon.

The agreement marks another milestone in Arkansas’ nationally leading effort to expand internet access and close the digital divide. Through this award, Amazon’s low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite technology will help bring reliable, high-speed internet service to some of the State’s most difficult-to-reach homes and businesses.

“Arkansas has remained focused on one goal from the beginning: connecting every eligible home, business, and community anchor institution as efficiently and responsibly as possible,” said Glen Howie, Arkansas State Broadband Director. “Whether through LEO satellite, fiber, cable, or next-generation fixed wireless, what matters most is delivering reliable service to the people and communities that need it. This first-in-the-nation agreement with Amazon does just that.”

“The signing of Amazon Leo’s first BEAD contract with Arkansas demonstrates how collaborative public-private partnerships can accelerate broadband deployment to unserved communities,” said Brian Huseman, Vice President of Public Policy and Community Engagement at Amazon. “Amazon Leo’s low Earth orbit network will deliver high-speed, low-latency connectivity to the hardest-to-reach locations and support Arkansas’s connectivity goals.”

The approved project will serve more than 1,700 locations across Arkansas, impacting over 4,200 Arkansans, and represents a total investment of approximately $2.4 million, including a BEAD grant of $1.76 million. Amazon is providing matching funds of more than $580,000.

The agreement follows Arkansas’ recent execution of its first BEAD grant agreement with Brightspeed and demonstrates the state’s commitment to an all-technology approach that leverages fiber, LEO satellite, and other broadband technologies to ensure every eligible home, business, and community anchor institution can be connected.

Arkansas has emerged as a national leader in broadband expansion, recording the largest percentage increase in broadband connectivity of any state in the country between 2021 and 2024. Today, broadband service is available to approximately 89 percent of locations statewide. Rural Arkansas has seen a 20-percentage point increase in broadband connectivity in the past two years.

Through ongoing state and federal investments, more than one million Arkansans are expected to gain access to modern broadband speeds by 2030.

“This agreement is about more than technology,” Howie continued. “It’s about ensuring that geography does not determine opportunity. Every Arkansan deserves access to the tools needed to self-determine their success in the twenty-first century digital economy. This agreement brings us one step closer to that reality.”

About the Arkansas State Broadband Office

The Arkansas State Broadband Office (ARConnect), housed within the Arkansas Department of Commerce, administers broadband grant programs for the expansion of reliable, high-speed internet access across underserved areas of the state. To date, the office has awarded more than $800 million in grants, covering more than 200,000 homes and businesses. Due to this work, Arkansas has led the nation in broadband connectivity growth, posting the largest percentage increase in connected locations between 2021 and 2024.