SHEPHERDSVILLE, KY – Some 6,300 homes and businesses in Bullitt County will be able to get high-speed fiber internet for the first time, due to a $6.8 million public-private partnership with broadband provider Kinetic, officials said.
The project, expected to start in early October, will provide internet speeds up to 8 gigabits per second to eligible homes and business in several parts of the county, including the unincorporated communities of Cedar Grove, Solitude, and Brownington.
Under the partnership, the county will commit $2 million from its general fund to support the project. Kinetic, which is part of Windstream, will invest $4.8 million and cover any cost overruns.
The combined venture will enable Kinetic to lay about 170 miles of optical fiber cable to bring high-speed internet to residences, businesses, and schools, with work expected to be completed next year.
Residents and businesses do not need to wait until the project is completed to sign up for the service. They will be able to sign up as soon as the optical fiber reaches their buildings.
“I applaud Kinetic and Bullitt County for investing together, in partnership, so that some 6,300 homes and businesses in remote areas of this great county benefit from fiber broadband,” Bullitt County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Anita Stump said at a project announcement at the Bullitt County Central Library in Shepherdsville on Monday, September 25.
“High-speed internet, like we’re getting here, is a necessity in today’s world, and the combined investment of Kinetic and Bullitt County will ensure that more and more people here benefit from fiber broadband,” Stump said.
Download, Upload at 8 Gigabit a Second
Kinetic’s fiber-optic broadband lets users download and upload equally in both directions at up to 8 gigabits per second, or 8,000 megabits per second, providing what is known as “next-generation access.”
The median download speed in Kentucky is about 191 megabits a second, and the median upload speed is about 23 megabits a second, Ookla’s Speedtest indicates.
“I am very happy for this world-class, next-generation internet upgrade that will benefit remote communities in Bullitt County,” State Sen. Mike Nemes, R-Shepherdsville said at the event.
“High-speed internet is a key part of our plan to build a better Kentucky and a better Bullitt County,” Nemes said. “It allows Kentuckians to stay connected with school, healthcare services, and family and is critical to the success of our state’s economy and to future job creation.”
Bullitt County Judge-Executive Jerry Summers, R-Shepherdsville, said: “Broadband has become an integral part of our daily life. Access to reliable service is becoming a necessity for all of us. The challenge of providing access in the rural parts of our state is very real. This partnership signals the start of new possibilities for Bullitt County. Technology is ever evolving, and this county deserves broadband that will handle current and future demands. Bullitt County is fortunate to have a community partner like Kinetic providing the best solution to connectivity for our residents and businesses.”
Windstream President and Chief Executive Officer Tony Thomas said: “We are thrilled to bring Kinetic’s ultra-fast, ultra-reliable 8 gigabit fiber connectivity and best-in-class internet experience to homes and businesses here in Bullitt County. This important county deserves exceptional internet, which will meet residents’ evolving demands for business, educational, and personal use.”
Thomas Unveils Kinetic Digital Literacy Program
At the event, Thomas also demonstrated the new Kinetic Digital Literacy Program. The Bullitt County Central Library is the nation’s first public library to offer Kinetic’s free online enrichment program.
“This is another way we at Kinetic are supporting people here in Bullitt County,” Thomas said. “For people with limited access to computers or the internet, we’re making Kinetic’s courses available at public libraries across the country so that people can learn using library computers. We’re able to do this thanks to our relationship with the American Library Association. We’re proud that the Bullitt County Central Library is our inaugural public library for this wonderful and important digital enrichment experience.”
The Kinetic Digital Literacy Program includes 12 easy-to-understand video courses in three categories—essential computer skills, basic office software skills, and daily technology skills.
Anyone, anywhere can take a course for free anytime by visiting Kinetic’s digital literacy website.
The Bullitt County fiber project is part of a $2 billion multiyear capital investment strategy to dramatically expand gigabit internet service across Kinetic’s 18-state footprint.
As a result of Kinetic’s network expansion, the company either has or will have fiber in every county it serves in Kentucky over the next couple of years. The company has invested more than $211 million in just two years to expand broadband access in the commonwealth.
Kinetic also recently opened a new 30,000-square-foot regional headquarters at the University of Kentucky’s Coldstream Research Campus in Lexington.
