Gov. Asa Hutchinson is many things, but a Luddite is not one of them. He understands how important technology is to the future of our state, and works to implement goals that take this into account.
He brought coding classes to every public high school in our state, ensuring that students who want to explore a career in information systems don't have to wait until college to figure that out. Careers in technology and coding are in high demand, and often come with good wages and stability.
So when the governor set his sights on tackling another technology-related problem for Arkansas, there was little reason to doubt he plans to follow through: Arkansas has a problem making high-speed Internet available for rural residents. Fayetteville? Sure. Jasper? A bit more iffy.
High-speed Internet used to be viewed as a luxury, but in 2019, it's necessary for economic growth. People shop, apply for jobs (and some of them do their jobs), file their taxes and more online. Entire businesses start up thanks to the Internet. And you never know when Bubba's Chainsaw Art in the middle of deepest, darkest Arkansas is going to become a profitable business thanks to a high-speed data connection.
The papers say roughly a quarter of our state has no access to high-speed Internet. Our state ranks last in the nation for access to wired broadband. Fortunately, our forward-thinking governor is on the case with an initiative to bring broadband to every town of at least 500 people by 2022. And now he's found the guy who will lead the charge.
That man is Department of Commerce researcher Nathan Smith.
With a broadband manager, we're off to the races when it comes to filling all those broadband gaps. Twenty-five percent is a big number to tackle, but the governor has allowed himself some time with his 2022 deadline.
If he's successful, this will be another feather he can stick in his cap before leaving the governor's mansion. As for Mr. Smith, best of luck.
Editorial on 07/26/2019