Scott County, Kentucky — This Kentucky county is 285 square miles and has more than 57,000 residents, but it lacks one service that residents take for granted.
“We identified approximately 5,500 homes that had no access and no broadband,” Scott County Judge and Executive Joe Pat Covington said.
Rural areas of Scott County have long been without broadband access, but that’s all about to change thanks to a federal grant from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.
“We were fortunate to receive a grant from the National Telegraph and Information Administration, and in fact, our key point in this whole process was to hire a consultant. “We hired a consultant with great experience in expanding broadband in the region, and that was CTC Technology,” Covington explained.
For Scott County real estate agent Nancy Purcell of Bluegrass Real Estate Alliance, broadband availability at the rural homes she represents means a potential sale.
“Everyone wants internet now, and when you go look at properties, 90-some percent, probably 95 percent, probably closer to 99 percent, say they want high-speed internet, which is great. “So having internet in the county is one of the most valuable things we can have,” Purcell said.
As the Spectrum Internet team continues to install infrastructure across the county, it’s only a matter of time before broadband service to these homes becomes a reality.
“This is going to be great for people who are working from home, and a lot of people are working from home,” Purcell said.
“Spectrum was also a very good partner. It took a lot of teamwork to pull it off,” Covington said.
Teamwork will ultimately provide rural residents here with the technology they need for the future.
Editor’s note: Spectrum Internet is affiliated with Charter Communications, the parent company of Spectrum News.
