Kentucky

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced that certain Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) census blocks are now eligible for other funding programs. This comes after Charter Communications and Altice informed the FCC of their decisions to withdraw from the RDOF support program. Both companies will face penalties for withdrawing from the program. 

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has accepted Kentucky’s Digital Equity plan. Using $874,236.00 from the State Digital Equity Planning Grant Program, Kentucky created a plan aimed at addressing disparities in digital access, skills and affordability across the state.

At least 13 states intend to undertake “nondeployment” projects as part of their funding under the $42.5-billion BEAD program, according to their initial proposals. The number of states that expect money left over after allocating funds for all unserved and underserved locations could be higher, and perhaps considerably so.

Center for Rural Development President and CEO Lonnie Lawson announced a $30.7 million project that will expand broadband access to approximately 33,000 households across 16 counties and 196 communities in Southern and Eastern Kentucky. The broadband expansion project will include: 

The goal of the Commonwealth of Kentucky’s Digital Equity Plan is to establish a roadmap that ensures everyone, regardless of their background or community, has access to the necessary technological resources to fully engage in our society, democracy, and economy. The Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet’s (ELC) Department of Workforce Development (DWD) has made the state's draft plan available to the public for feedback until October 15, 2023.

A $6.8 million public–private partnership between Windstream's broadband provider, Kinetic, and Bullitt County (KY) will connect some 6,300 homes and businesses with high-speed fiber internet for the first time. The project, expected to start in early October, will provide internet speeds up to 8 Gbps to eligible homes and business in several parts of the county, including the unincorporated communities of Cedar Grove, Solitude and Brownington. Under the partnership, the county will commit $2 million from its general fund to support the project.