Kentucky receives $1.1B in federal funds to provide high-speed internet for all
FRANKFORT, Ky. — Gov. Andy Beshear believes $1.1 billion will be enough to provide every Kentuckian with high-speed internet access.
It's the largest federal grant funding for high-speed internet that the state has ever received.
The federal grant comes as part of the Biden administration's Broadband Equity, Access and Development Program, which aims to provide all Americans with affordable and reliable internet access by 2030.
Beshear was joined by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg, Congressman Morgan McGarvey, and other officials on Tuesday for the announcement at Simmon's College.
"High-speed internet is no longer a luxury; it is a necessity," said Beshear. "If your internet cannot operate at a certain speed, it is not valuable to you and can't work with many of the systems that you need."
Secretary Raimondo said there are still around 300,000 locations across the state that lack reliable internet access, mostly in rural parts of the state. "It's expensive to lay the fiber to connect those folks," said Raimondo. "So this $1.1 billion, we know, is enough money to finish the job and finally connect everybody."
The governor hopes to provide not only reliable internet access but also affordable service.
Some of the funds will also be allocated to the Affordable Connectivity Program. The ACP will help provide financial assistance to households who qualify. For more information on that program, click here.
Now, the state is looking for service providers to help get the work done. The state will accept bids from both private and non-profit organizations.
Much of the foundation work has already been installed, thanks to the 2016 Kentucky Wired project. That will help speed up the process, according to Beshear. However, expect the plan to take several years to implement.
By: Addie Meiners
Source: WLKY