If you’re looking for internet service in the state of Arkansas, then you’re in luck. On this page you’ll find information that explains who you can get internet service from, what the coverage looks like, free wi-fi hotspots and the access that the top 5 colleges in Arkansas provides their students.
Local Residential Internet Service Providers
The following 3 ISPs are local to Arkansas (and surrounding areas) and provide internet connections to residential areas.
- Cobridge Communications: Cobridge Communications offer internet service to certain areas in Arkansas. Prices depend on the location and start as low as $19.99/month for 12 months. To get a price quotation and to check the speed of the service, call them at 855-262-7434.
- Ritter Communications: Ritter Communications offers high speed internet and the pricing costs depend on your location. For example, in Lake City, High Speed Internet up to 50 Mbps costs $120.95/month. High Speed Internet up to 30 Mbps is $75.95/month. High Speed Internet up to 15 Mbps is $53.95/month, and High Speed Internet up to 3 Mbps costs $43.95/month. To know more information, call them at 888.3336.4466.
- Arkwest: Arkwesthas internet service available for your home. For a 512Kbps download speed, the price is $34.95/month. For a 768Kbps download, the package costs $49.95/month. For a 1.5Mbps download speed, the cost is $59.95/month. To know more information, you can call them at 888-495-7800.
Local Business Internet Service Providers
These 3 ISPs are also local to Arkansas, but provide their connections to small businesses.
- Windstream: Windstream offers a Business Class Internet Package starting at $39.99/month for 1.5Mbps download speed. The maximum package of their internet service can reach $99.99/month for 24Mbps download speed. Pricing and availability will vary by location. To check availability and pricing, call them at 866.445.5882.
- Tri-County Telcephone Company: Tri-County offers dependable and affordable internet service for everyday business. Download speed being offered can reach up to 6 Mbps. Prices are not stated on the website, but you can call them at for more details.
- Artelco: Artelco has DSL rates offered for your business. Their Tier 1 speed costs $37.95/month with download speed of 512Kbps. Their Tier 2 speed costs $49.95/month with download of 640 Kbps. Tier 3 costs $59.95/month with download of 768 Kbps, and their Tier 4 costs $135.95/month with download of 1 Mbps. Call them at 501.745.2114 for more details.
Arkansas Internet Connections and Coverage
In this section we cover the internet speeds and coverage in Arkansas.
In regards to internet speeds, Arkansas average speed is 10.12 Mbps, which is slightly slow compared to the national average of 12.55 Mbps.
The 5 cities with fastest internet speed in Arkansas are:
- Siloam Springs – 20.02 Mbps
- Jacksonville – 19.96 Mbps
- Eureka Springs – 19.78 Mbps
- Van Buren – 16.94 Mbps
- Fort Smith – 14.55 Mbps
The 5 fastest internet service providers in Arkansas are:
- Comcast – 20.27 Mbps
- Cable One – 17.91 Mbps
- Cox – 16.68 Mbps
- Ritter Communications – 11.79 Mbps
- Cablelynx – 9.60 Mbps
Keep in mind that these numbers change regularly. So if you want the most current stats, then visit the Arkansas page at NetIndex.com.
Mobile 3G Internet Coverage for Arkansas
Here is an overview of the 3G coverage in Arkansas. 3G coverage can change at any time, so be sure to check out the coverage map of your service provider of choice before making your purchase.
Below are 3 providers and an explanation of what areas in Arkansas they cover.
Clear: Clear’s 3g internet is available in key cities and towns in Arkansas. These include Little Rock, Memphis, Greenville, Jonesboro, and Paragould. So long as you’re in major areas, you’ll get signal from Clear.
AT&T: AT&T’s 3g internet coverage for Arkansas is alright. There are a few places in the north, west, and south that have little to no connectivity and these are due to bodies of water such as lakes as well as bodies of land such as forests which makes it impossible to get mobile signal.
Verizon: Verizon has good mobile coverage of their 3g signals in Arkansas except only a few areas in the west, northwest and south. These are due to the terrain which are covered with forests and mountains. Other than that, signals are very good.
Top 5 Colleges in Arkansas& Their Internet Access
Below are the top 5 colleges in the state of Arkansas and the internet access they provide students, and how to get it.
University of Arkansas
IT Services of UARK has rolled out two wireless networks, UA Wireless and UA Secure. UA Wireless does not require setup and is an unsecure guest network that allows access to the web, but blocks other services such as printing. UA Secure is the recommended network for UARK users as it offers unrestricted and secure access to all web locations and services.
Hendrix College
Hendrix College had recently completed a major initiative to provide wireless network access thoughout the campus. For students, they are advised to connect to the “hndrxstdnt” wireless network and will be asked to type in their credentials. For faculty, they have a separate wireless network with the ID “hndrxfac01”. For guests, xonnecting the the Hendrix GUEST wireless network requires a WEP encryption key. This key is available by contacting Information Technology at 450-1340 or sending a request for help to ithelp@hendrix.edu.
Harding University
Wireless access is available in many spots on campus. Most areas provide secured access and guest access. The secured access requires a Harding username and password to authenticate. The guest access needs no authentication, but will only allow you to use Internet resources.
Henderson State University
Henderson has the network divided into a Faculty network, a Student network, and a wireless network. Anyone who receives an acceptance letter will receive a username and password as well as an e-mail address. Any new Employee will be given a username and password as well as any extra permissions as determined by the hiring department and Human Resources.
As for wireless internet, there are 2 primary wireless networks available on campus. The “DormLogon” network is available to any student in the dorms. This wireless network will allow you the same access that you would receive on the standard Student Network. This Wireless network, just like the Student Network, also requires your device to be registered before access will be granted.
The second prominent wireless is the “StuGuest” network. This network is available to anyone who comes to Henderson’s campus. This network does require you to connect to it, and then you must log into the network.If you are a visitor, select “Guest”.
Arkansas State University
There are 3 networks to connect to the internet wirelessly. AstateAnywhere is designed for general wireless usage for ASU Faculty, Staff, and Students and requires you to provide your login details. AstateSecure is designed for users who absolutely need full end-to-end encryption on their wireless connection. AstateGuest is the other new wireless SSID that they’ve added. This is only available in limited areas on campus and is designed to help ASU sanctioned visitors onto our wireless network with a limited amount of setup required.
Free Internet Access Spots in Arkansas
Free internet access in Arkansas can be found in most major malls, restaurants, and libraries. Here are other free internet spots in this state:
- Uncommon Grounds in Harrison
- Hot Springs Civic and Convention Center in Hot Springs
- Books A Million in North Little Rock
- Krystal in West Memphis
- Pinnacle Hills Promenade in Rogers
This is far from a complete list of free wi-fi hotspots, but just something to get you started.