In national broadband rollout, rural landscapes pose a challenge

The state of Kentucky was allotted $1.1 billion to get every home hooked up to high-speed internet. Currently, Kentucky has roughly 200,000 homes that are counted as unserved or underserved in regard to broadband, according to Meghan Sandfoss, executive director of the state’s Office of Broadband Development. Part of what makes Kentucky an interesting case for broadband rollout is its challenging topography, with the Appalachian Mountains and forested hills, as well as the state’s large rural population. About 20 percent of Americans live in rural areas, but in Kentucky, the proportion is double. In rural areas, that investment in laying fiber-optic cables might be around $50,000 per mile. The economics are further complicated in areas with large Amish and Mennonite populations because internet service providers aren’t going to find paying customers in those households.