$203 Million investment brings high-speed internet to more than 34,000 Kentucky households, businesses

FRANKFORT, Ky. (WBKO) – As a part of his Higher Kentucky Plan, Gov. Andy Beshear Monday introduced a historic funding of over $203 million to develop dependable and inexpensive high-speed web to greater than 34,000 Kentucky households and companies together with components of Edmonson and Warren County.

South Central Telecom acquired a grant for $1,885,000. The general venture value is $3,710,000 together with the required matching funds. This funding will develop entry to high-speed web to 215 at the moment unserved households and companies positioned in Edmonson and Warren counties.

The Governor stated that the state’s Higher Web program is offering greater than $89.1 million in 46 grant awards to 12 web service suppliers and native governments throughout 35 Kentucky counties.

Grant recipients have pledged funds to match the state’s contributions, bringing the overall funding for this spherical of broadband growth awards to over $203 million.

“I’m extremely happy to announce what I imagine is the one largest provision of funding for high-speed web in our commonwealth’s historical past,” Beshear stated. “Excessive-speed, dependable web service is not only the infrastructure of the longer term, it’s the infrastructure of the current. It’s simply as necessary proper now as roads and bridges. And immediately is a key a part of our plan to construct a greater Kentucky, as high-speed web can be vital to the success of our state’s financial system and to future job creation.”

The awards had been made utilizing a aggressive course of managed by the Finance and Administration Cupboard, which issued a Request for Proposals in August 2021. An analysis workforce comprised of state authorities workers spent six months evaluating and scoring the almost 100 proposals acquired in response to the RFP.

The 12 profitable candidates, representing 46 tasks, had been chosen based mostly on their demonstrated means to satisfy sure circumstances required to obtain this funding.

“These grants will decrease the price of building in order that our most rural areas may have entry to this necessity of high-speed web,” State Funds Director John Hicks stated. “These funds are devoted to unserved areas in Kentucky. We’re additionally establishing Kentucky’s first Workplace of Broadband Growth to assist administer and create a grasp plan for the commonwealth to supply common service to each Kentuckian.”

Awards introduced immediately embrace:

• Constitution Communications acquired 18 grant awards totaling $49,980,694. The general venture funding is $118,808,035 together with the required matching funds. This funding will develop entry to high-speed web to 18,553 at the moment unserved households and companies positioned in Anderson, Bourbon, Boyle, Carroll, Henry, Jefferson, Jessamine, Lincoln, Madison, Oldham, Shelby, Spencer and Trimble counties.
• Frankfort Plant Board acquired 11 grants totaling $8,045,741. The general venture value is $16,091,483 together with the required matching funds. This funding will develop entry to high-speed web to 1,918 at the moment unserved households and companies positioned in Franklin County.
• Pennyrile Rural Electrical Cooperative acquired seven grants totaling $13,827,320. The general venture value is $27,906,340 together with the required matching funds. This funding will develop entry to high-speed web to five,598 at the moment unserved households and companies positioned in Caldwell, Christian, Lyon, Todd and Trigg counties.
• West Kentucky Rural Phone Co-op Company acquired two grant awards totaling $3,365,704. The general venture value is $6,731,408 together with the required matching funds. This funding will develop entry to high-speed web to 843 at the moment unserved households and companies positioned in Calloway and Marshall counties.
• Cumberland Mobile acquired a grant for $1,012,879. The general venture value is $2,025,758 together with the required matching funds. This funding will develop entry to high-speed web to 290 at the moment unserved households and companies positioned in Casey County.
• Gibson Join acquired a grant for $4,650,880. The general venture value is $11,073,552 together with the required matching funds. This funding will develop entry to high-speed web to 1,763 at the moment unserved households and companies positioned in Fulton, Graves and Hickman counties.
• Boone County Fiscal Court docket acquired a grant for $808,832. The general venture value is $4,880,432 together with the required matching funds. This funding will develop entry to high-speed web to 2,130 at the moment unserved households and companies positioned in Boone County.
• Duo County Phone Cooperative acquired a grant for $3,368,826. The general venture value is $6,737,652 together with the required matching funds. This funding will develop entry to high-speed web to 550 at the moment unserved households and companies positioned in Russell and Wayne counties.
• Bardstown Join acquired a grant for $1,090,982. The general venture value is $3,305,064 together with the required matching funds. This funding will develop entry to high-speed web to 1,061 at the moment unserved households and companies positioned in Bullitt, Nelson, Spencer and Washington counties.
• Crystal Broadband Networks acquired a grant for $255,835. The general venture value is $515,835 together with the required matching funds. This funding will develop entry to high-speed web to 1,006 at the moment unserved households and companies positioned in Powell County.
• Tri-County Electrical acquired a grant for $900,000. The general venture value is $1,800,000 together with the required matching funds. This funding will develop entry to high-speed web to 97 at the moment unserved households and companies positioned in Monroe County.

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