Arkansas First State to Execute BEAD Agreement with Amazon Leo

June 11, 2026 — Arkansas said it has become the first state to execute a Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) agreement with Amazon Leo, a low-Earth orbit (LEO) internet access provider.

The Arkansas State Broadband Office announced the execution of a BEAD Program grant agreement with Amazon Leo on Thursday.

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Amazon's LEO satellites are expected to bring reliable, high-speed internet service to some of the state's most difficult-to-reach homes and businesses. The agreement marked another milestone in Arkansas' effort to expand internet access and close the digital divide.

"Arkansas has remained focused on one goal from the beginning: connecting every eligible home, business, and community anchor institution as efficiently and responsibly as possible," Arkansas State Broadband Director Glen Howie said. "Whether through LEO satellite, fiber, cable, or next-generation fixed wireless, what matters most is delivering reliable service to the people and communities that need it. This first-in-the-nation agreement with Amazon does just that."

The approved project will serve more than 1,700 locations across Arkansas, impacting over 4,200 Arkansans, and represents a total investment of approximately $2.4 million, including a BEAD grant of $1.76 million. Amazon is providing matching funds of more than $580,000.

The agreement follows Arkansas' recent execution of its first BEAD grant agreement with Brightspeed, which brought fiber to the neighboring rural towns of Coal Hill and Hartman in northwest Arkansas. The state left itself with more than $600,000 in BEAD funds after serving all of its approved locations in a remarkably competitive process.

Also on Thursday, Arkansas announced it signed a grant agreement with SpaceX, the other LEO provider participating in BEAD. SpaceX had warned states it could be difficult for satellite operators to participate in the program without exemptions from certain rules, something the Commerce Department shot down, but the company has reached agreements with multiple states.

Amazon and SpaceX are collectively set to serve nearly 900,000 locations under BEAD, or nearly 23 percent of all the program’s eligible locations.

Louisiana also said Thursday that it has signed an agreement with SpaceX.