Glen Howie, a senior policy analyst within the commerce department of Louisiana's Office of Broadband Development and Connectivity, was named Arkansas' new broadband director on Monday.
Secretary of Commerce Mike Preston announced that Howie will advise the governor and other officials on key issues related to the deployment of broadband throughout Arkansas.
"I am excited to name Glen Howie as director of our broadband office," said Preston in a news release. "Not only does he come highly recommended with a wealth of knowledge concerning broadband policy, but he has been on the front-line in one of the most highly regarded broadband offices in the country. He knows how we need to focus our efforts to ensure that everyone in Arkansas has access to affordable broadband and has the skills to use it. I have no doubt that he will hit the ground running with fresh ideas to make our goals a reality."
Howie will oversee a three-year plan to provide broadband access to 110,000 households throughout the state.
In May, the Arkansas Legislative Council approved the creation of a new director position for the state's broadband office with a salary up to $200,000 a year. The council also approved two new systems architect positions for the office with a pay range of $89,541 to $129,835 a year.
Department of Commerce spokeswoman Alisha Curtis said in June that the department received six applications for the director post.
On Monday, Curtis said Howie's salary will be $125,000. She said he was one of two people who were interviewed for the director's post.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson said in a statement that he's confident Howie "is up to the task of expanding the availability of broadband to every corner of the state."
"Broadband delivery has always been one of my top priorities," Hutchinson said. " For Arkansas to reach its full economic potential, we need to do everything we can to close the digital divide and ensure that our citizens in rural communities have the same opportunities as their counterparts in larger cities. I believe Howie is the perfect choice to lead our efforts into the next phase of growth and implementation."
Due to proposed changes to the state broadband master plan under the the Arkansas Rural Connect program, the scope of work for the program's contractors needs to be expanded, according to Preston. These proposed changes include implementing competitive bidding and making grant awards using census block groups, he said.
Through the Arkansas Rural Connect broadband grant program, the Commerce Department has funded projects totaling $368 million that so far has made broadband available to more than 109,000 households in the state, according to Curtis.
At the Louisiana Office of Broadband Development and Connectivity, Howie helped form and implement Louisiana's broadband policy, as well as the development of regulatory rules regarding the state's first $177 million broadband infrastructure grant program.
"Like railways two centuries ago and electricity 100 years ago, broadband internet access today has become a critical piece of infrastructure, igniting economic growth, improving health outcomes, enhancing agricultural output, and advancing the educational experience of our children," Howie said in a news release. "It is an honor and privilege to be entrusted to build upon the prior success of the state broadband office and lead the team charged with providing a transformational opportunity to all Arkansans"
In April, a report from the Broadband Development Group estimated the cost of extending broadband access to about 110,000 households in Arkansas without high-speed internet at $550 million.
In its report, the group suggested that part of the $550 million price tag could be funded by tapping into federal funds in the range of $254 million to $358 million, reducing the number of remaining underserved households down to about 10,000 within three years.