In Saline County (AR), some residents still can’t access broadband; a local committee is part of an effort to change that

More than one-fifth of Arkansans don't have access to broadband, making the Natural State the third worst in the nation for internet access, according to BroadbandNow. Even in Saline County, home to many residents who commute to jobs in the Little Rock metropolitan area, officials and homeowners say some remain stuck with internet speeds that recall the dial-up era. County officials, though, recently formed a broadband committee to determine what steps are needed to get faster internet to residents in even the farthest-flung parts of the area. It's not alone: a state agency has urged all of Arkansas' 75 counties to do so. The Saline County Broadband Committee held its first meeting July 18. The committee is led by Trevor Villines, who also serves as the county's spokesman. They held their fourth meeting on Oct 31 and are "inching toward launching" a survey for residents, he said. They hope to have the survey ready for residents' input within the next month and a half.