Appalachian Regional Commission Seeks to Measure Prior Broadband Program
The regional commission aims to better serve its rural communities.
Patricia Blume

June 10, 2025 – The Appalachian Regional Commission requested proposals Thursday from qualified consultants to conduct a performance analysis of previous broadband grant programs.
The analysis will evaluate the performance and outcomes of over 80 broadband and digital opportunity projects funded by ARC, representing $28 million in grants that concluded between fiscal years 2019 and 2023.
Roughly a quarter of the grants were construction projects funding middle mile or last mile fiber networks. Around one-third of the grants funded equipment, one-third funded technical assistance and the remaining grants funded wireless last mile service.
These projects sought to serve approximately 500 communities, 70,000 households, and 7,000 businesses. They also helped create more than 10,000 jobs and leveraged $29 million in private investment.
The quantitative study will collect current network performance data, input from grantees and grantee beneficiaries.
The final deliverables must include: a comprehensive report summarizing data and offering advice on areas of improvement; a one-hour-all-staff presentation educating staff on the data collected; and, an Excel spreadsheet detailing updated grant performance data. Additionally, the consultant is expected to offer their own recommendations for improvement.
The proposal reflects ARC’s broader mission of ensuring connectivity in the Appalachian region. ARC is a regional economic development entity that supports 423 counties across 13 different states. Of its 206,000-square-mile service area, 42 percent is composed of rural communities.
In recent years, ARC has granted billions to support rural communities in Appalachia. Most recently, on June 5, ARC allocated more than $2.8 million in capacity-building grants to 59 local governments and selected 75 nonprofits for no-cost capacity building. In April, ARC granted $5,130,000 to the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation to bolster tourism in Appalachian North Carolina and Virginia.
Given the grand scale of these investments, ARC now requires a consultant to effectively manage these funds. Funding for the interested prospects may not surpass $250,000. Interested parties must submit proposals by 5:00 p.m. E.T. on July 18, 2025.