Kentucky is moving forward with broadband expansion, and several southcentral counties are along for the ride.

Wednesday, the House Committee on Small Business and Information Technology heard from Meghan Sandfoss, executive director of the Kentucky Office of Broadband Development, established in 2022.

Sandfoss gave legislators an update on how statewide broadband planning and deployment is progressing.

Broadband grants work in two parts: the planning stage and the deployment stage. In November 2022, $5 million in planning funds were awarded by the federal Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program to pay for mapping projects, short term planning and staffing through 2027.

Recipients of this initial funding must submit a five-year action plan by August and an initial proposal later in the year, upon which recipients will get a portion of funding to begin their projects, Sandfoss said.

The second BEAD allocation is estimated to be between $700 million and $1 billion and be announced in June, Sandfoss told the House committee. Planned projects have to be completed by November 2027.

Right now, the office is planning a “Better Internet Listening Tour” alongside Connected Nation to help grant recipients create broadband plans that meet the need by gathering the input of local residents, leaders, internet service providers and other stakeholders from workforce development, healthcare and industry.

One meeting will be in Warren County on Feb. 28 from 1-3 p.m. It will be hosted by the Barren River Area Development District and everyone is welcome.

The Better Internet Program, created by the state legislature in 2022, is also awarding grants to broadband projects. Gov. Andy Beshear announced the first round of 47 projects in 2022, using nearly $90 million in fiscal recovery funds.

The second round of applications, for the Capital Projects Fund, were due early February. According to Kentucky law passed in 2022, the $206 million fund will prioritize broadband projects that:

• are in locations with no high-speed internet service, meaning internet speeds are 25/3 Mbps or slower;
• serve more rural areas;
• aim to increase speeds to at least 100/100 Mbps;
• are fiber or “last-mile” projects;
• involve internet service providers participating in the Affordable Connectivity Program, which provides discounts to low-income households; and/or
• will be operational by the end of 2026.

The state broadband office received 103 applications from 19 providers in 77 counties as part of the Better Internet Program, including six in Warren, Butler, Edmonson, Logan and Metcalfe counties.

Combined, southcentral Kentucky’s requested broadband projects would serve 4,729 residential and business addresses, according to Kentucky Office of Broadband Development data.

Not all applications will be chosen, though, since the total requested funds – $483 million – more than doubles available grant money. Even those that don’t receive funding will benefit from the state office’s awareness of their need, Sandfoss said.

The push for broadband is very “community-driven,” said Eric Sexton, BRADD executive director. Last summer, BRADD hosted broadband feasibility studies to help each county move forward.

Butler County ran with the information and used it to create Fiber for Butler, a partnership between Warren RECC and NCTC to bring affordable, reliable fiber internet to unserved and underserved areas of the county, Sexton said.

“They’re not talking about it, they’re doing it,” he said. “I’m really pleased with what they’re seeing over there. I think the work that we did helped support that initiative, now it’s being locally driven, which is where it needs to be. The locals know their trajectory better than anyone.”