Photo by Scott Smithson/FlickrCC
Kentucky’s statewide broadband internet project, KentuckyWired, will be complete by mid-2019, according to Gov. Matt Bevin.
The $324 million public-private project is a collaboration between the state and private partners, who will operate and maintain the network for 30 years, charging the state about $28.5 million and up per year. After 30 years, Kentucky will own the network.
During a news conference Friday, Bevin said the project will help make Kentucky the “hub of excellence for America.”
“It cannot happen without broadband, it cannot happen without a strong technological infrastructure,” he said.
The project will stretch 3,000-miles of fiber optic cable to build out the “middle mile” of a statewide broadband network. Cities and businesses across the state will be in charge of building out the “last mile” to connect services to customers.
Macquarie Capital, Black & Veatch, Fujitsu, First Solutions and Ledcor are the private partners involved in the project. The companies will make money from charging 670 government agency locations, higher education institutions and others to use the network…
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