A combination of grant money and private funding worth $386 million is going towards adding high-speed Internet to 46,200 homes and businesses in 46 Kentucky counties.
$196 million worth of grants from the Kentucky Broadband Deployment Fund was given out to Internet service providers across the state. Those providers matched the grants with another $190 million of their own funding.
Gov. Andy Beshear announced the funds Tuesday during a live-streamed conference.
“All this funding is historic,” Beshear said. “But it's also transformative. We're talking about access everywhere. That doesn't mean universal access except where it's difficult or except where the terrain is tough.”
Seven of the 56 grants were ceremoniously awarded Tuesday during the conference. Woodford County Judge Executive James Kay was one local official present.
“This is a big deal for our rural community, our farmers, our farm families and our students who are going to be connected to the Internet,” Kay said. “And it's going to be good, reliable quality Internet. And that's what this is all about. It'll take Woodford County into the future. And I'm so glad to see Kentucky is moving in that direction too.”
The announcement comes after more than one billion dollars in federal funding was granted to the Commonwealth for high-speed Internet access last June through the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment Program, created through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
Gov. Beshear is currently running for re-election against Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron.
