In Appalachia, A Public Broadband Project Hits Snags
AppleMagazine|AppleMagazine #310

Kentucky’s plan to build one of the country’s largest publicly owned broadband networks was touted as a cornerstone of the effort to save the Appalachian economy by bringing high speed internet to some of the poorest counties in America.

In Appalachia, A Public Broadband Project Hits Snags

It was supposed to take a year to finish, but three years later only a fraction of the 3,000 mile network of fiber optic cables known as Kentucky Wired has been built. Construction has been plagued by delays, forcing the state to pay $7 million in penalties to its private-sector partners with the potential of “tens of millions” more. State officials had been counting on public schools and libraries to help pay some of the bills but that plan has fallen through, and project officials plan to ask state lawmakers for millions of dollars in taxpayer money to make up the difference.

Now, some of the state’s most influential lawmakers want to pull the plug, and have asked project leaders how much that would cost.

“This is the 21st century version of the big dig in Boston,” said Chris McDaniel, chairman of the state Senate’s budget-writing committee, referring to a project that took decades to complete and cost twice as much as planned.

Launched with considerable fanfare in August 2015, Kentucky Wired was designed to touch all of Kentucky’s 120 counties to ensure even the most remote hollers of the Appalachian mountains would have access to highspeed internet — widely viewed as crucial to jumpstarting economic development.

The undertaking requires a 3,000-mile network of fiber optic cables, 85 percent of them strung from existing telephone poles while the rest run underground.

It was supposed to have been completed by the fall of 2016. Instead, crews have installed only 68 miles of tubing for the cables, nearly 13 miles of glass fiber and 6 miles of aerial fiber cables.

This story is from the AppleMagazine #310 edition of AppleMagazine.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the AppleMagazine #310 edition of AppleMagazine.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM APPLEMAGAZINEView All
VISA, MASTERCARD SETTLE LONG-RUNNING ANTITRUST SUIT OVER SWIPE FEES WITH MERCHANTS
AppleMagazine

VISA, MASTERCARD SETTLE LONG-RUNNING ANTITRUST SUIT OVER SWIPE FEES WITH MERCHANTS

Visa and Mastercard announced a major settlement with U.S. merchants on Tuesday, potentially ending nearly two decades of litigation over the fees charged every time a credit or debit card is used in a store or restaurant.

time-read
3 mins  |
March 29, 2024
TIKTOK BILL FACES UNCERTAIN FATE IN THE SENATE AS LEGISLATION TO REGULATE TECH INDUSTRY HAS STALLED
AppleMagazine

TIKTOK BILL FACES UNCERTAIN FATE IN THE SENATE AS LEGISLATION TO REGULATE TECH INDUSTRY HAS STALLED

The young voices in the messages left for North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis were laughing, but the words were ominous.

time-read
5 mins  |
March 29, 2024
TIKTOK IS UNDER INVESTIGATION BY THE FTC OVER DATA PRACTICES AND COULD FACE A LAWSUIT
AppleMagazine

TIKTOK IS UNDER INVESTIGATION BY THE FTC OVER DATA PRACTICES AND COULD FACE A LAWSUIT

The Federal Trade Commission is investigating TikTok over its data and security practices, a probe that could lead to a settlement or a lawsuit against the company, according to a person familiar with the matter.

time-read
2 mins  |
March 29, 2024
'GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE' CLEARS A LOW BAR
AppleMagazine

'GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE' CLEARS A LOW BAR

Forty years after “Ghostbusters” and following a string of sequels that never measured up to the 1984 original — beginning all the way back with 1989’s “Ghostbusters II” — it’s fair to wonder, well, who else ought we to call? It may be time to, if not give up the ghost entirely, at least give a flip through the ol’ rolodex.

time-read
3 mins  |
March 29, 2024
TRUMP'S SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANY GAINS IN ITS FIRST DAY OF TRADING ON NASDAQ
AppleMagazine

TRUMP'S SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANY GAINS IN ITS FIRST DAY OF TRADING ON NASDAQ

Shares of Donald Trump’s social media company rose about 16% in the first day of trading on the Nasdaq, boosting the value of Trump’s large stake in the company as well as the smaller holdings of fans who purchased shares as a show of support for the former president.

time-read
3 mins  |
March 29, 2024
NEW BIPARTISAN BILL WOULD REQUIRE ONLINE IDENTIFICATION.LABELING OF AI-GENERATED VIDEOS AND AUDIO 7
AppleMagazine

NEW BIPARTISAN BILL WOULD REQUIRE ONLINE IDENTIFICATION.LABELING OF AI-GENERATED VIDEOS AND AUDIO 7

Bipartisan legislation introduced in the House would require the identification and labeling of online images, videos and audio generated using artificial intelligence, the latest effort to rein in rapidly developing technologies that, if misused, could easily deceive and mislead.

time-read
2 mins  |
March 29, 2024
US PROSECUTORS TRY TO SEND WARNING TO CRYPTOCURRENCY WORLD WITH KUCOIN PROSECUTION
AppleMagazine

US PROSECUTORS TRY TO SEND WARNING TO CRYPTOCURRENCY WORLD WITH KUCOIN PROSECUTION

A top U.S. prosecutor announced criminal charges Tuesday against a once-ascending company in the cryptocurrency world and two of its founders in a bid to send a message to other players in the industry to follow U.S. laws.

time-read
2 mins  |
March 29, 2024
READY OR NOT.AI CHATBOTS ARE HERE TO HELP WITH GEN Z'S MENTAL HEALTH STRUGGLES
AppleMagazine

READY OR NOT.AI CHATBOTS ARE HERE TO HELP WITH GEN Z'S MENTAL HEALTH STRUGGLES

Download the mental health chatbot Earkick and you’re greeted by a bandana-wearing panda who could easily fit into a kids’ cartoon.

time-read
4 mins  |
March 29, 2024
APRIL'S TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE PROMISES TO BE THE BEST YET FOR EXPERIMENTS
AppleMagazine

APRIL'S TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE PROMISES TO BE THE BEST YET FOR EXPERIMENTS

April's total solar eclipse promises to be a scientific bonanza, thanks to new spacecraft and telescopes and cosmic chance.

time-read
3 mins  |
March 29, 2024
APPLE ANNOUNCES WORLDWIDE DEVELOPERS CONFERENCE DATES.IN-PERSON EVENT
AppleMagazine

APPLE ANNOUNCES WORLDWIDE DEVELOPERS CONFERENCE DATES.IN-PERSON EVENT

Apple has announced their annual developers conference ‘WWDC 2024’ will take place June 10 through June 14.

time-read
1 min  |
March 29, 2024