Beech Tree News Network

On Friday, September 16, I was pleased to represent the Kentucky General Assembly at the KentuckyWired (KYW) event at the Capitol where I joined Governor Matt Bevin and U.S. Congressman Hal Rogers as they highlighted the progress that has been made on the high-speed telecommunications network that connects our state.

KentuckyWired is a network across the state of fiber optic cable that will bring telecommunications connectivity to many who have never had it before. The network will have more than 3,000 miles of fiber optic cable focused on providing broadband services to state government agencies and public and postsecondary schools, including KCTCS. The network is “open access,” which means that cities, partners, and business can acquire access to the network in order to provide service directly to customers through the excess capacity of the network.

Construction on KentuckyWired began in the middle of 2015 and has included extensive surveying and engineering work. The Kentucky Communications Network Authority (KCNA) is using existing infrastructure whenever it is possible to do so which saves costs and keeps the project locally-focused. The Shaping Our Appalachian Region (SOAR) area is the first area of construction focus, and the rest of the state will follow with a hopeful completion date of 2019.
 
One of the main goals is to partner with local and private entities to cut down on costs and access already-existing infrastructure. According to recent statistics provided by KCNA, approximately 70 telecommunications, electric and municipal utilities across the state are providing important partnerships to access utility poles. According to Congressman Rogers, this is the only public-private project in the country working toward statewide broadband access.

I am truly excited to hear about the progress on this project. Governor Bevin and Congressman Rogers have worked tirelessly to ensure our state, especially impoverished areas of Appalachia, has all the tools possible to enhance the region’s quality of life for its citizens and shape an economically stable future.

If you have any questions or comments about these issues or any other public policy issue, please call me toll-free at 1-800-372-7181 or email me at [email protected].  You can also review the Legislature’s work online at www.lrc.ky.gov.

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Note:  Senator C.B. Embry, JR (R-Morgantown) represents the 6th District including Butler, Hopkins, Muhlenberg, and Ohio Counties. He is Vice Chair of Veterans, Military Affairs, & Public Protection, and member of the Budget Review Subcommittee on Education, Agriculture Committee, Natural Resources and Energy Committee, and Transportation Committee.