GOVERNOR ANNOUNCES RECORD INVESTMENT TO EXPAND ACCESS TO HIGH-SPEED INTERNET IN KENTUCKY

Looking to close its digital divide, Kentucky will use a $386 million investment to expand access to high-speed internet to more than 42,600 homes and businesses, Gov. Andy Beshear said this week.

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It amounts to a record investment of broadband money for Kentucky, a combination of public and private sector funds that will be spread broadly among 46 counties, Beshear said. It's the next phase of a bipartisan policy goal to connect every Kentucky home and business to reliable, high-speed internet.

"High-speed internet is no longer a luxury, the Democratic governor said at a news conference.

"It is an absolute infrastructure necessity." Kentucky policymakers are pursuing a long-term effort to connect areas with no internet access or chronically slow service. The persistent lack of access in some parts of the state was laid bare during the COVID-19 pandemic, when remote work and schooling were hampered by significant gaps in connectivity.