Nevada County Broadband Committee

The Nevada County Broadband Committee formed July 21, 2023. It works with ARConnect, The Arkansas State Broadband Office, which is administering the $1 billion allocated to Arkansas from the BEAD Program. This is the internet construction portion of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Public Law 118-58)

(PDF Document)

of November 2021 working toward High-Speed Internet for All.

The committee wants to assure that all of Nevada County has or will have:

Internet Infrastructure and Access,
Affordable Internet, and
Internet and Digital Skills Education.

This web site is intended to provide information and resources for residents of Nevada County, Arkansas.

Broadband

The Nevada County Broadband Committee follows the guidelines of the Arkansas Broadband Office and defines "broadband" as a internet access speed of at least "100/20".

The "100" means 100 megabits per second (100 Mbps) download from the internet.
The "20" means 20 megabits per second (20 Mbps) upload to the internet.
These benchmarks have been preferences of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for quite a while, were formally proposed with Increase Minimum Broadband Speed Benchmark
(PDF Document)
on November 1, 2023 and adopted with FCC Increases Broadband Speed Benchmark
(PDF Document)
on March 14, 2024.
The FCC plans a future benchmark of "1000/500".

Technical Information: Megabits vs Megabytes [ ⮟ More ]
- "Bit" is the unit of measurement for stating the speed (or bandwidth) of a connection, and is abbreviated with a lower-case "b".
- "Byte" is the unit of measurement for file sizes, and is abbreviated with an upper-case "B".
- There are eight "bits" in a "byte". So 100 Mbps is about 12 MBps. When error-checking is used, there is an extra bit. So divide by 9, and the number is 11 Mbps
- Therefore, a 100 megabit per second (100 Mbps) internet bandwidth means you can download a file of about 12 megabytes in one second. Yes, it actually takes longer. You computer must send the request to the server which then has to find the file and begin sending it to you. Once the file is on the way, this is how long it takes to receive it. Then, your computer has to save the file and close the connection to the server.
- Greek language prefixes are used in electronics. No prefix means times one. "Kilo" means times one thousand (remember this from dial-up modems and the first floppy diskettes?). "Mega" means times one million (this is the current standard for internet speeds). "Giga" means times one billion (a gigabit is simply 1000 megabits). "Tera" means times one trillion (you'll see this in hard drive capacity measurements). "Peta" means times one quadrillion (1Pb=1000Tb).

The FCC has published a Broadband Speed Guide to assist in determining the speed you may need.

History of Broadband Service Turn-Ups in Nevada County

Walnut Hill Communications ‐ Southern Nevada County

Date: Late 2022
Walnut Hill Communications began providing fiber internet service in the southern area of Nevada County. More information

South Central Connect ‐ Nevada County

Date: December 15, 2022
SSC "opened" fiber internet service of 1000/1000 to their electrical service area in Nevada County, known by electricity providers as "Hope East".. More information

CableLynx ‐ Prescott

Date: June 1, 2023
CableLynx increased speeds in Prescott for 150/10 customers to 300/20 without a price increase! More information

South Central Connect ‐ Prescott

Date: October 4, 2023
SSC "opened" the City of Prescott and connected their first customer on October 4, 2023 at 1000/1000 speed. More information

CableLynx ‐ Prescott

Date: December 15-19, 2023
CableLynx launched Gig service in Prescott. More information

CableLynx ‐ Emmet

Date: January 21, 2024
CableLynx launched Gig service in Emmet. More information

News

Where Can I Get Broadband?

Arkansas Broadband Map

Search for your address (input field is in the upper right corner) then tap the adddress when found.
The Arkansas Broadband Map will zoom in.
Note the color of the dot representing your location and click on that dot.
Once you've clicked your dot, check the white panel on the left.
- If your dot is gray, broadband is currently available There's a list of "PROVIDERS" and the available speeds. See our list of ISPs for contact information.
- If your dot is green, there is already funding awarded to build internet to your location. "FUNDING PROGRAM" shows the ISP and grant. "Above baseline" means at least 100/10 service, but most providers are building 1000/1000 service and plan to have it working by the end of 2025.
- If your dot is blue or red, your location will soon funded. You are quite some time away from having broadband internet available. Arkansas wants it build by the end of 2027, but the grant program allows until 2029.
If you address is not listed, try a neighbor's address to see if broadband is deployed or will soon be funded in the area.

Arkansas State Broadband Office County Roadshow

Date: April 4, 2024
Location: Nevada County Courthouse
Time: 4:00 – 5:00
Who: All Nevada County residents interested in broadband development!

The Second Annual Arkansas State Broadband Office Broadband County Roadshow is coming to Nevada County! Get ready for an incredible opportunity to shape the future of broadband in your community and beyond. Join us on April 4th as we welcome the roadshow to Nevada County. We'll be diving into discussions about how broadband access is transforming lives and driving progress right here in our backyard, and what’s next. Here's what you need to know:

This is your chance to make your voice heard and be a part of something special. Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity to shape the future of broadband access in Nevada County and beyond.

Can't wait to see you there! Let's make a difference together.

#NaturallyConnected #ARConnect #ARCommerce #ARPX #arleg #TopTenState #LeaderInTheSouth #Broadband #DigitalOpportunity

Map Challenge Process

Dates: March 12, 2024 - April 18, 2024
The Arkansas Broadband Office BEAD Map Challenge Phase works to assure the map is correct in order to provide funding to qualified Internet Service Providers (ISPs) so they can build broadband internet to each location in Nevada County.
Work of the Nevada County Committee.

BEAD: Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment

Dates: November 1 and 14, 2023
Money to build additional internet infrastructure is available!

The Arkansas Broadband Office is administering the $1 billion allocated to Arkansas from the BEAD Program, a part of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Public Law 118-58)
(PDF Document)
of November 2021 working toward High-Speed Internet for All.
State of Arkansas Initial Program Volume I
(PDF Document)
State of Arkansas Initial Program Volume II
(PDF Document)

FCC Maps

Date: November 18, 2022
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released two maps:
One map shows internet speed available at a given address.
One map shows funding that has been granted to build internet at that address.
These maps are the basis for BEAD funding.
More information on the maps and the Nevada County Broadband Committee's Role

Arkansas State Broadband Office Broadband County Roadshow

Date: July 21, 2023
Location: Nevada County Courthouse.
Purpose: Formation of Nevada County Broadband Committee