Jeremy Gillam
Arkansas House Speaker Jeremy Gillam is leading an effort to increase access to high-speed Internet across the state.
Arkansas historically lags other states in Internet access, and Gillam is seeking legislative action to expand it. On Wednesday, the Legislature’s Joint Committee for Advanced Communication and Information Technology approved a timeline to issue recommendations for expansion ahead of budget hearings for the 2017 regular session.
Arkansas Business caught up with Gillam, a Republican and a farmer from Judsonia, to talk about where this legislative effort goes from here.
AB: How do you see this plan coming together?
JG: You are going to see the Legislature working together on one single issue like never before. We are stepping up our game. Every member knows the needs in their own district and the needs are great. The timeline directs the committee to visit all four congressional districts to hear from residents and Internet providers. They will finalize policy recommendations by October 2016 and have legislation ready to go for the 2017 regular session.
AB: Who might the partners be?
JG: The committee will be looking at how to make this affordable for every home, every business, and every school. Having said that, there is no one size fits all. One region may have multiple partners, another may not have any.
AB: How will it be different from other projects such as the now defunct Connect Arkansas program?
JG: There is a different goal. The purpose of Connect Arkansas was to map and then to encourage utilization in areas that had access. This is about increasing the access and making it affordable.
AB: Any idea on cost?
JG: I think it is important for Arkansans to remember that there is a cost to our state if we don’t act. People are now making decisions about where to live based on broadband availability. Businesses have been doing this for some time.
We don’t know the cost as of yet because we don’t know the situation on the ground. For one area it may be as simple as flipping a switch. Providers or federal grants may also bear some of the costs.
AB: What kind of support will this have once the ’17 session rolls around?
JG: Overwhelming. Rep. Warwick Sabin [D-Little Rock] is the point person from my leadership team. He will be working closely with Rep. Stephen Meeks [R-Conway] who chairs the committee. You saw a unanimous vote [Wednesday] in committee to move forward.
I have faith they will be working closely together for the next year to come up with a plan that helps every district.
AB: How far behind is Arkansas in this area, and how does it compare to other small, rural states?
JG: We consistently rank between 45th and 50th in the nation when it comes to access. Different studies have different numbers. But the FCC reports that close to 60 percent of Arkansans live in an area without access to high-speed broadband.
AB: Should Internet access become a public utility, and how close do you think we are to that becoming a reality?
JG: This has moved beyond the discussion of a public utility. Everyone acknowledges this is critical component to health care, to education, and our economy.
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