KentuckyWired will be the answer to closing the digital divide across the state

We want to compliment the Lexington Herald-Leader for its recent article regarding the thousands of Kentucky school children who lack reliable internet. Those children and their families, as the article explained, are finding themselves on the losing end of Kentucky’s digital divide as public schools throughout the state operate virtually.

Kentucky, like most states, has struggled to make internet available to everyone. It’s understandable, as getting the necessary infrastructure in place is not easy, nor inexpensive. But similar to public utilities such as water and electricity, making internet accessible to all Kentuckians begins with building statewide infrastructure.

Throughout the U.S., states’ efforts to provide internet access have consisted of a patchwork of ideas – different counties and regions trying to do their own things. Yet, the best answer is to build a broadband framework for the entire state – so then every county and region has access to the same high-quality resources. This is critical.

That is exactly what Kentucky is doing.

To the credit of many, our current and past leadership in Frankfort recognized the need for a statewide digital framework. The result is KentuckyWired, a state-run project constructing more than 3,000 miles of high-speed, high-capacity fiber-optic cable in every Kentucky county. Called the “middle mile,” the project will provide access points in every county for internet service providers to extend service to county residents, businesses and government agencies. (Some government offices around the state are already connected to the new structure.)

As the Herald-Leader article said, KentuckyWired does not provide the “final mile.” But without this comprehensive statewide middle mile in place, efforts to connect rural areas will largely continue to be piecemeal. No other state has constructed a state-owned statewide fiber-optic network that is open for statewide use.

With the KentuckyWired project, scheduled for substantial completion around the end of 2020, every county and all its residents will have access to the same state-of-the-art network. Of course, that timeline does not help with current broadband needs in this new school year. But as KentuckyWired becomes a reality, educators, individual residents and local officials can devise future plans for that final mile, getting families connected.

For many communities, this will require time and patience. No doubt, it can be expensive to run final-mile internet lines through rural areas. Options for funding and grants may need to be explored.

It is worth noting that a lack of internet is not solely a rural issue. There are areas in Louisville, Lexington and other Kentucky cities where internet is unavailable or unreliable. In those cities, some parents take their children to local fast-food restaurants, or they park outside the fire station, in order to access internet to do homework. (Also, we compliment the Kentucky Farm Bureau, which is activating a free public Wi-Fi internet signal to be accessible in the parking areas of its nearly 200 offices in the commonwealth.)

Kentucky ranks 45th (by the U.S. Census Bureau) in the percentage of residents with access to high-speed internet, and 47th in percentage of residents with internet subscriptions. When the KentuckyWired project is complete, Kentucky can move into the top 10 in both rankings.

But more than an impressive ranking, the project will place the entire commonwealth on a solid foundation for building reliable high-speed internet for all. With that comes new economic and employment opportunities, as well as improved access to health care through telehealth.

In countless ways, reliable internet can help break down barriers of isolation and create opportunities. KentuckyWired can provide the pathway for those opportunities.

Rob Morphonios is the CEO of KentuckyWired.