FRANKFORT, Ky. — KentuckyWired, the state-run project constructing high-speed fiber optic infrastructure to every Kentucky county, has begun connecting government offices in the northern section of the state known as Ring 1A.
The Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) office in Owenton was the first site to transition over to KentuckyWired on Dec. 5. Now, after extensive testing to ensure network connections are working properly, other government sites are transitioning to the KentuckyWired network.
The second site, the Child Support office in Cynthiana, was connected to the network on Jan. 23. Three more offices, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet office in Covington, General Butler State Park near Carrollton and Kentucky State Police Post #6 in Dry Ridge, should join the network within the next two to three weeks.
Jamie Link, executive director of the Kentucky Communications Network Authority (KCNA) – the agency overseeing the project – says, “Working with the Commonwealth Office of Technology, we now plan to begin connecting sites at an accelerated pace. First in Ring 1A followed by Ring 1B, which encompasses a large portion of Eastern Kentucky. We will then work to connect other agencies across the state as quickly as possible.” Link added that construction throughout the Commonwealth is scheduled to be completed later this year.
KentuckyWired is a 3000-mile, open access, “middle-mile” network connecting government offices, including state parks, state universities and colleges, state veterans homes and State Police posts in all 120 Kentucky counties.
Along its path, “last mile” providers can connect to the network in order to provide high-speed broadband services to other public and private customers. It is envisioned that KentuckyWired will greatly enhance the state’s economy, educational opportunities, public safety, health care and numerous other benefits to Kentucky citizens and businesses.
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