Celebrating the completion of another investment in our community’s future
On September 23, 2026, Petit Jean Electric and Petit Jean Fiber celebrated the completion of the Searcy County Fiber Project, made possible through the Arkansas Rural Connect (ARC) Round 3 Capital Projects Fund.
This project has been several years in the making. The journey began in 2023, when Petit Jean Electric filed the application for the project. The fiber buildout was completed in 2024, bringing high-speed fiber internet to more members of the Searcy County community.
In July 2025, Petit Jean Fiber received a $6.1 million check associated with the project, marking another important step in the investment in rural broadband and the communities we serve.
The ribbon-cutting on September 23 marked more than the end of a construction project. It celebrated years of planning, hard work, investment, and partnership.
Local leaders, including the County Judge, Mayor, and other community leaders, joined representatives from the Arkansas State Broadband Office, along with Petit Jean Electric and Petit Jean Fiber employees, to celebrate this important milestone.
For Petit Jean Electric and Petit Jean Fiber, expanding reliable high-speed internet is about meeting a growing need in the communities we serve.
“This part of the project went as smoothly and as quickly as cost-effective as any other phase of the project. No one is asking for less internet these days; everybody needs more. This fiber internet will bear fruit for generations to come.”
— Michael Kirkland, Petit Jean Electric CEO
Fiber internet can help connect families, businesses, schools, health care services, and communities. As more parts of everyday life depend on reliable internet, these investments help prepare rural Arkansas for what comes next.
Glen Howie also shared what makes these celebrations special:
“These ribbon cuttings are my favorite thing to do because it shows all the investment, all the hard work, all the planning kinda comes together at the end. Couldn't be happier to be here and celebrate with you all. This is what good government looks like.”
— Glen Howie, Jr., State Broadband Director
The completion of the Searcy County Fiber Project is a reminder of what can happen when communities, local leaders, state partners, and local organizations work together toward a shared goal.
At Petit Jean Electric and Petit Jean Fiber, we’re proud to be part of that work. We believe investing in our communities means looking beyond today and helping build a stronger future for the generations who will call these communities home.
The work is complete, but the impact is just beginning.
By Angie Hutchins, Communications
