LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WHAS11) -- Governor Matt Bevin and Congressman Hal Rogers announced a new milestone for KentuckyWired Friday. The high-speed fiber optic network seeks to provide broadband internet access to every county in the state.
The Governor's Office says the network’s first portion, known as Ring 1A, has been completed. Ring 1A includes Louisville, Lexington and the northern Kentucky area near Cincinnati. An 80-mile segment from Lexington to Somerset has also been completed, which is designed to enable expansion of the network into eastern Kentucky during the project’s next phase.
Kentucky ranked 44th in the country for access to broadband internet in 2019, according to U.S. News & World Report. With the KentuckyWired project, Kentucky aims to be the first state to provide an open-access fiber optic cable network in every county. Officials hope that increased internet access in rural communities will help transform local economies, spur job growth and creation, and provide first responders, healthcare providers and local governments with the connectivity necessary to protect and serve Kentuckians.
When completed, the project will enable internet service providers to deliver broadband access to homes and businesses in all 120 counties through more than 3,000 miles of fiber optic cable.
