The Center for Rural Development convenes with judges, mayors, fiber boards, and state legislators across Southern and Eastern Kentucky to explain the broadband expansion initiative

Ten years ago, The Center for Rural Development became the launching pad for broadband expansion in Southern and Eastern Kentucky. Now, more households, businesses, and communities than ever before will have improved access to broadband – thanks to a major broadband expansion initiative.

Lonnie Lawson, President and CEO of The Center for Rural Development, announced a $30.7 million project that will expand broadband access to approximately 33,000 households across 16 counties and 196 communities in Southern and Eastern Kentucky.

The project, funded by federal and matching funds, will improve internet infrastructure in Bath, Bell, Boyd, Carter, Garrard, Knox, Laurel, Letcher, Lincoln, Martin, McCreary, Pulaski, Rockcastle, Rowan, Russell, and Whitley counties.

The announcement was made on Monday, Nov. 13, at the London Community Center in London, KY, before local and area judges and mayors, fiber boards, state legislators, community leaders, and invited guests. 

“Broadband is our modern-day highway, and once complete, this project will encompass 124-miles of fiber, which I like to call the Super I-Way,” said U.S. Congressman Harold “Hal” Rogers (KY-05). “We are part of an exciting time for our region, paving this new information highway that will benefit future generations.” 

The broadband expansion project will include:

• 33 publicly and commercially available CenterLinks Access Nodes (CANs), used to expand the KY Wired statewide middle-mile to create a local-middle mile infrastructure
• 15 wireless towers within the 16 counties as well as 40 additional towers deployed outside the scope of the grant funding
• Construction of 124 miles of fiber (100 miles for CANs and 24 miles to bring towers on-net)
• Unlimited bandwidth between network nodes, allowing for any subscribed bandwidth out to end-users

“In today’s digital age, reliable internet is not just a luxury, but a necessity,” said Lonnie Lawson, President and CEO of The Center for Rural Development. “With this project, we’re taking a monumental step towards bridging the digital divide in rural Kentucky. This is a testament to our commitment to empowering and enriching our communities.”

For more information about the broadband expansion initiative, please contact The Center for Rural Development at 606-677-6000 or visit www.centertech.com.