Kentucky Wired broadband Internet project announced in Hazard

Reliable high speed Internet is coming to Eastern Kentucky and folks are excited about it. It has the potential to create jobs, improve access to health care, and enhance education for our students. Hundreds of people packed the First Federal Center to celebrate the launch of the Kentucky Wired I-Way broadband network.

Gov Steve Beshear (D-KY) and Rep Hal Rogers (R-KY) spearheaded the project as part of the Shaping Our Appalachian Region Initiative. Gov Beshear said, “You're going to see a region transformed from a place where people are crying for jobs to a place where employers won't be able to find enough people to fill those jobs.” Rep Rogers says, “It will be costly. It will be challenging. But our children deserve access to the best educational opportunities. Our seniors deserve access to better healthcare monitoring.” The broadband network will cover about 3,400 miles across the state and make communication faster than ever before. The cost of the project is estimated at around 324 million dollars.