Kinetic Completes First Build of Rural Digital Opportunity Fund in Kentucky

GREENSBURG, Ky.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Kinetic has completed the first phase of fiber deployment in Green County through the FCC’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Phase 1. This is the first RDOF work completed in the Commonwealth by Kinetic. Under the federal program, Kinetic will bring fiber-to-the-home internet services to more than 15,700 locations across Kentucky over the next six years.

“These are exciting times for Green County,” said County Judge-Executive David Frank. “Fiber internet brings access to telehealth, education services and economic development that improves people’s lives.”

In the first phase of the Green County project, Kinetic built fiber access to 109 locations in Greensburg. The next phase of work in the area will add another 409 homes by the end of the year. In addition to the $1.5 million Kinetic was awarded through the federal grant program for Green County, the company is investing $2.3 million in private capital in the county.

“Partnerships like this are important for Kentucky, and particularly the people in my district,” said State Senator David Givens. “These make the benefits of high-speed internet available to homes where it would otherwise be cost prohibitive. That’s why the General Assembly created the Kentucky Broadband Deployment Fund to help encourage these partnerships and to increase access to rural broadband in communities like ours.”

Representative Brandon Reid agreed, “Kinetic is a good partner with the Commonwealth generally and Green County in particular. It’s always good to see partnerships where everyone contributes to making the project successful. I hope with the addition of the Kentucky Broadband Fund we see more fiber in our community soon.”

While this is the first RDOF project completed in Kentucky, the company has completed another fiber project through Phase I already in Hickman, Nebraska, and three in Springfield, Georgia.

“Partnerships are the key to building the future of rural areas,” according to Stephanie Bell, vice president of Kinetic state government relations. “Kinetic is proud to be a partner with Green County to accelerate rural fiber deployment. After all, we live, work, and play in the communities we serve.”

Kinetic is simultaneously undergoing a $2 billion, multi-year initiative, funded by private capital, to dramatically expand gigabit internet service across its 18-state footprint. As a result of that network expansion, the company either has or will have fiber in every county it serves in Kentucky over the next couple of years. From 2019 through 2021, the company invested more than $211 million to expand broadband access in the Commonwealth. More than 120,000 locations had access to gig speeds at the end of 2021.

About Kinetic

Kinetic by Windstream is a business unit of Windstream Holdings, a privately held Fortune® 1000 communications and software company. Kinetic provides premium broadband, entertainment and security services through an enhanced fiber network to consumers and businesses primarily in rural areas in 18 states. The company also offers managed communications services, including SD-WAN and UCaaS, and high-capacity bandwidth and transport services to businesses across the U.S. Additional information is available at GoKinetic.com. Follow us on Twitter at @GoKineticHome.

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