Arkansas News Bureau

LITTLE ROCK — Librarians and state leaders will gather Thursday to promote the education and deployment of broadband, or high-speed Internet, service in Arkansas.

The Broadband Summit, hosted by the Arkansas State Library and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, will be at the Peabody Hotel.

The summit begins at 1 p.m. and House Speaker Robbie Wills, D-Conway, is the dinner keynote speaker.

Two other government officials dominate Friday’s agenda. Gov. Mike Beebe is scheduled for Friday morning and U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor is the lunch speaker.

Representatives from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation are expected to attend the event.

In a news release promoting the event, Danny Koonce, spokesman for the state library, said the goal is to ensure that every library in Arkansas can provide improved Internet connections.

A variety of panel discussions and meetings are on the agenda.

Act 604 of 2007 created Connect Arkansas, a nonprofit organization designed to educate people on the importance and need of high-speed Internet and ensure the creation of the service across the state.

Representives of Connect Arkansas told lawmakers this year that key components of high-speed service are economic development, improved education, and better, faster healthcare.

Lawmakers also were presented the results of a poll of Arkansas voters that found that 29 percent have never used the Internet and that 51 percent currently don’t have high-speed Internet service.

—–
On the Net:
www.opportunityonline.org