Internet Speed: 27.1 Mbps (average); 46 Mbps (peak)

Population: 2.97 million

Broadband coverage: 70%

Main Types of Connections: DSL, Cable, Fiber-optic

Main Internet Service Providers: Cox, Windstream, NATCO, Artelco

Average Pricing: $50 per month (Numbeo.com – May 2017)

Main Colocation Datacenters: Mainstream Technologies, TierPoint, Tw Telecom, Windstream

According to fastmetrics.com, the average Internet connection in Arkansas is 27.1 Mbps, while the peak connection speed is 46 Mbps.

Population

According to a 2017 estimate, the current population of Arkansas is approximately 2.97 million. 70% have access to broadband Internet, while the remaining 30% are either connected to the Internet through dated technology (e.g. dial-up) or not connected to the Internet altogether.

Main Internet Connections

In Arkansas, the main types of wired Internet services are as follows:

– DSL
– Cable
– Fiber-optic

According to broadbandnow.com, DSL is the most popular type of Internet connection, with 84.3% of Arkansans having access to it. It is closely followed by cable service, with 70% of Arkansans.

Conversely, fiber-optic Internet, which is considered to be the fastest type of broadband connection, lags behind with only 4.4% of the populace having access to it.

Major Internet Service Providers

The main ISPs in Arkansas are as follows:

– Cox;
– Windstream;
– NATCO Communications;
– Artelco Internet

Cox is the biggest ISP in the state. It owns more than 25% of the market share, while the remaining operators own less than 15% each. In big cities, there are over 4 ISPs to choose from, which encourages healthy competition, but in most rural areas, there is usually a single provider, and prices are naturally exorbitant for the customers located there.

Average Pricing

Price-wise, getting access to the Internet in Arkansas might prove somewhat pricey relative to other states. According to both Numbeo.com and Cox’s official website, a typical subscription to the Internet which comprises speeds of up to 50 Mbps d-link and 5 Mbps uplink starts at $55 per month. Other ISPs such as Windstream offer packages for less money, but, according to various sources, services are not as dependable.

The State of the Internet in Arkansas – Facts, Figures, Federal Funding Programs

According to Internetchoice.org, the lack of proper and dependable infrastructure could also explain the reason why only 2.30% of Arkansans have access to Gigabit-speed Internet, and why a massive 63.40% do not have access to 100 Mbps Internet service. Arkansas is also only the 48^th most connected state in the USA – many counties, especially those located in the southern part of Arkansas, have reportedly under 10% broadband coverage.

In order to encourage state-wide broadband adoption, which remains worryingly low, a few federal-level funding programs have been established in recent years. One of the most important programs is the Connect Arkansas Initiative, which is proposing a comprehensive project revolving around the basics of digital literacy, online entrepreneurship, and access to tele-health services. In addition to raising awareness for the benefits of the Internet, the program is also proposing to offer help in the form of funds to improve and expand the broadband infrastructure, especially to rural areas, where most customers are stuck with dial-up Internet, or no Internet at all.

According to datacentermap.com, there are currently 3 major colocation datacenter facilities established in Arkansas, specifically in the city of Little Rock. They are as follows:

– Mainstream Technologies;
– TierPoint;
– TW Telecom.
– Windstream (operating through TierPoint)

These facilities have a combined square footage of 15,000 (or square meterage of ~1021), and offer plenty of amenities.

The colocation industry in Arkansas is not very developed/popular due to a few reasons.

Firstly, the Internet infrastructure is not really the best in the United States, and wholesale/retail bandwidth is indeed expensive.

Secondly, Arkansas is at somewhat high risk for natural disasters. According to epa.gov, there have been a total of 60 declarations of major natural catastrophes occuring in this state since 1953 – Arkansas has been walloped by heavy rain, snow, ice, tornadoes and flooding to this day. However, all the companies mentioned above provide DRaaS protection (Disaster recovery as a service). This means that your physical and virtual servers are hosted by a third party, typically located in another state, to provider failover in the event that a man-made or natural disaster should occur.

However, the lack of interest in colocation services might take a turn for the better in the coming years. Windstream, which used to be a big player in the Arkansas colocation industry, sold in 2015 all of its datacenter operations to TierPoint for a massive $525 million. Since the two companies cut the deal, TierPoint invested another few millions of dollars in modernizing the facilities, including the ones located in Arkansas. Google and Facebook have also shown interest in establishing colocation facilities in the region, although no specific plans have been released to the public as of yet.