Kentucky Plans Statewide Broadband Deployment by 2007

According to Gov. Ernie Fletcher, Kentucky is on the wrong side of a widening digital divide as the Commonwealth ranks 44th in its proportion of high-tech companies, 45th in household computer use, and 43rd in citizen Internet use. To help improve these figures, the governor has called for a broadband deployment and adoption plan that will leverage state, federal and private investment to have full, statewide broadband deployment by 2007.

The plan, Prescription for Innovation: Delivering Broadband Technology for a 21st Century, will address challenges of Kentucky businesses and residents by identifying their needs and implementing community-specific plans. Building upon the success of the rural broadband bill signed earlier this year (see the May 24 issue of the Digest), the plan will address the supply-side and demand-side issues resulting from full deployment and increased adoption.

ConnectKentucky, a quasi-public tech-based economic development alliance, has been charged with implementing the plan. Through collaboration with the Kentucky Infrastructure Authority and the Commonwealth Office of Technology, ConnectKentucky will begin the physical mapping process in November on a county-by-county basis to produce a comprehensive GIS-based assessment. Following the assessment, ConnectKentucky will meet with county leaders to identify gaps in existing infrastructure and to ensure each county has broadband availability.

Full broadband deployment in the state is expected to result in 14,000 jobs and $5 billion in additional Gross State Product annually, according to reports from TeleNomic Research and Criterion Economics LLC.

More information is available at: http://www.connectkentucky.org