Governor Andy Beshear introduced Monday that the applying window is open for the subsequent spherical of grant funding to assist the state’s enlargement of high-speed Internet entry to extra households throughout Kentucky. This spherical contains greater than $206 million.
The distribution of those funds helps Gov. Beshear’s Better Internet Initiative, designed to broaden high-speed Internet entry to areas of the Commonwealth with underserved populations or these with obtain speeds of 10 Mbps or much less.
“Access to reliable, high-speed internet is not only essential to our future economic growth; it is critical infrastructure that is as essential as roads and bridges,” mentioned Governor Beshear. “These grant funds help us ensure we reach every corner of the Commonwealth by helping more families have high-speed internet for the first time.”
Applications for grant funding can be found from the Office of Broadband Development. Grant funds will likely be awarded competitively to high-speed Internet networks owned, operated or affiliated with native governments, nonprofit organizations and cooperatives, in addition to personal suppliers. Applications will likely be accepted till February 6, 2023, and awards will likely be made primarily based on an applicant’s demonstrated capability to satisfy the standards outlined within the software.
This summer season, Governor Beshear introduced the primary spherical of 47 broadband grants totaling greater than $89.6 million that may assist carry high-speed Internet entry to unserved areas throughout the Commonwealth. These grants had been awarded to 12 Internet service suppliers and native governments in 36 Kentucky counties. Each of the grant recipients pledged not less than 50% in matching funds to assist these tasks, bringing the whole funding for the primary spherical of broadband enlargement grants to greater than $203 million.
This funding helps the enlargement of high-speed Internet entry to greater than 34,000 Kentucky households and companies, serving to them keep linked to well being care, work, college, household, pals, their prospects and their communities.
House Bill 320 and House Bill 382, enacted by the 2021 General Assembly, and House Bill 315, enacted by the 2022 General Assembly, had been launched by Gov. Beshear signed and established Kentucky’s Broadband Deployment Fund to help personal sector entities and authorities companies within the prices of constructing the “last mile” of high-speed Internet entry to unserved and underserved households and companies throughout Kentucky.
The fund has earmarked $300 million for constructing high-speed Internet infrastructure to attach areas at the moment with out entry.
Combined with matching funds supplied by service suppliers and native governments, an estimated $500 million will assist the enlargement of high-speed Internet in Kentucky, creating greater than 10,000 direct and oblique jobs. This historic funding, together with an anticipated federal broadband grant to be acquired in 2023 from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the KentuckyWired undertaking, positions the commonwealth to maneuver towards common entry to high-speed Internet.
The governor’s Better Internet Initiative is a key a part of his Better Kentucky Plan, which goals to assist lead the commonwealth into the post-COVID financial system by utilizing federal {dollars} to construct new colleges, ship clear ingesting water, increasing entry to high-speed internet, constructing stronger communities, enhancing roads and bridges and increasing electrical automobile infrastructure.
