Staff report
Gov. Andy Beshear and Sen. Mitch McConnell both announced that the National Telecommunications and Information Administration will allocate $1,086,172,536 to Kentucky for high-speed Internet infrastructure — which is the largest public investment in high-speed internet in the state’s history.
This award is made possible through the BEAD federal grant program which is funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).
“It is a historic day for Kentucky. Thanks to the support from the federal government, we are going to help connect every family, community and business to high-speed internet,” Gov. Beshear said. “Never before have we seen this type of investment in high-speed internet, and with it comes new infrastructure, more good jobs for our families and a boost to our already booming economy.”
Prysmian Group, headquartered in High Heights, joined President Biden at the White House for the announcment of a $43.45 billion grant program for high speed internet. Kentucky’s share is nearly $1.1 billion. (Photo from Prysmian Group)
Sen. McConnell agreed.
“In today’s digital age, it’s essential that Kentucky’s communities, from rural towns to urban centers, have access to reliable and affordable high-speed Internet. This federal funding will deploy internet infrastructure to communities across the Commonwealth that need it most, bringing new opportunity to millions of Kentuckians,” he said.
President Joe Biden announced Kentucky’s funding allocation through the $42.45 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, created through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law of 2021, which is the country’s largest-ever investment in high-speed internet.
Kentucky has now received more than $1.6 billion in total high-speed internet funding since the American Rescue Plan Act was passed in March 2021.
BEAD is a program of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. The program prioritizes projects that serve areas lacking internet speeds above 25/3Mbps.
According to the most recent data released last month by the Federal Communications Commission, Kentucky has over 258,000 unserved locations. The Office of Broadband Development will administer a competitive grant process to distribute these funds to eligible subrecipients, including internet service providers and local governments, beginning in early 2024.
“We are prepared to hit the ground running after this historic announcement,” said Meghan Sandfoss, executive director of Kentucky’s Office of Broadband Development. “These new funds are going to drive substantial growth in the reliability and availability of high-speed internet.”
On hand at the White House this week as President Joe Biden announced the funding for the high-speed internet infrastructure deployment were representatives from Northern Kentucky-based Prysmian Group.
Prysmian’s Andrea Pirondini
Based in Highland Heights, Prysmian Group is a world leader in the energy and telecom cable industry. Prysmian’s CEO Andrea Pirondini and Senior VP of Telecom Jacobi joined the President, at his invitation, for the announcement.
Prysmian’s fiber optic solutions allow data to be transmitted over longer distances than traditional copper cable solutions, making fiber the growing choice for internet across the U.S. – and the solution for bridging the digital divide. Prysmian’s U.S.-made fiber optic cables are manufactured at the company’s Jackson, Tennessee; Claremont, North Carolina; and Lexington, South Carolina facilities.
“We have invested in people, technology and assets to be able to support the increased demand for fiber that is necessary to ensure each American has access to reliable and affordable high-speed internet,” said Pirondini. “We are proud to do our part in this initiative.”
Prysmian Group has made significant investments across its North American footprint to support the growing need for fiber infrastructure and the BEAD program funding, including a $30M investment in its Jackson, Tennessee factory to retool the facility from legacy copper to fiber optic cable production, and a $50M multi-year modernization project at its Claremont fiber facility to enhance process capabilities, systems and technologies to support future growth.
“We are making these investments not only in our products but in our people and the U.S. manufacturing workforce,” said Patrick Jacobi, senior vice president of Telecom, Prysmian Group North America. “In Jackson, we’ve upskilled our workforce to meet the new demands of the retooled plant. While the plant was under construction, they spent time at our facilities across the U.S., learning necessary on-the-job- skills and contributing to plant production as they prepared for the transition from copper to fiber in the Jackson Plant.”
“These investments will help all Americans,” said Biden. “We’re not going to leave anyone behind.”
