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Dr. Ronald P. Rogers CHIROPRACTOR Support for your body's natural healing capabilities 270-384-5554 Click here for details 
  
Columbia Gas Dept. GAS LEAK or GAS SMELL Contact Numbers 24 hrs/ 365 days 270-384-2006 or 9-1-1 Call before you dig 
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Op-ed: Gov. Beshear, Rep. Rogers - Open access internet in every county Governor Steve Beshear and Rep. Hal Rogers say KentuckyWired project is a key catalyst for profound, sweeping growth in job creation, health access, education Kentucky is embarking on one of the biggest infrastructure projects in more than 50 years - developing a robust, reliable, fiber "backbone" infrastructure that will bring high-speed Internet connectivity to every county of the Commonwealth. The network, called KentuckyWired or the I-Way in eastern Kentucky, will break down geographic and financial barriers to education and economic development by providing affordable, high-quality Internet service to connect Kentuckians to the world. Because KentuckyWired is open access, local service providers can tie into the network at a reduced cost and build fiber to homes and businesses, making broadband service more affordable throughout the state. As a result:
KentuckyWired is starting in eastern Kentucky and over the next three years will spread throughout the state. As co-chairmen of the Shaping Our Appalachian Region initiative, or SOAR, we understand that broadband, like electricity, water and sewer, is now an essential service. Until now, however, it has been too expensive for private carriers to build out a high-speed, high-capacity network across the entire state. In fact, in a recent national report, Kentucky ranked dead last for broadband speeds. The gap is especially great in our more rural areas, since the urban areas of Kentucky have historically fared better and thus have had an advantage over those rural areas. KentuckyWired will change that. Kentucky has entered into a public-private partnership (P3) to finance, build, operate and maintain the network for 30 years. This partnership with Macquarie Capital allows the middle-mile project to begin sooner and be completed in three years, and it provides for maintenance and refresh of the network over the contract. The private partners have a target for hiring Kentuckians. If Kentucky did not go with a P3 structure, it would take years, if not decades, to build out such a network. This project is too critical to our future to wait. Since Kentucky state government already pays for Internet service for state entities, those funds will be transitioned to pay for broadband service over the KentuckyWired network. With this dedicated funding stream there is a stable financial foundation for the network to operate. With the extension of the Mountain Parkway and the build-out of KentuckyWired, eastern Kentucky will be on a more level playing field. The potential to tap into the global economy, compete for higher paying jobs, collaborate with researchers across the globe, take classes online, or access increased medical care makes KentuckyWired one of the most important infrastructure projects for all of Kentucky. This is a long-term asset that will pay dividends for years. Sincerely, Steven L. Beshear, Governor Hal Rogers, 5th District Representative This story was posted on 2015-09-16 08:13:24
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Have comments or corrections for this story? Use our contact form and let us know. More articles from topic Kentucky:
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