“KentuckyWired – the Commonwealth’s Future Broadband Reality”
The Kentucky Broadband Outreach and Strategic Planning Project is managed by KCNA to promote broadband strategic planning and accelerate broadband development across Kentucky. These activities offer communities assistance in successfully leveraging the benefits of high speed, high capacity fiber.
The project supports KentuckyWired/KY I-Way initiative’s goals to prepare “Fiber Ready” communities, businesses and citizens all across the Commonwealth from border to border. A “Fiber Ready” community supports Broadband adoption in a manner that has a positive impact to a community’s socioeconomic status. You can find it here.
Community Planning
Grant funding from the Kentucky Communications Network Authority (KCNA) allowed more than 70 key Gateway Area Development District (GADD) stakeholders from Montgomery, Menifee, Morgan, Rowan and Bath counties to plan how to best prepare for taking advantage of the KentuckyWired high speed broadband network currently under construction. Solarity provided consultation services for this engagment. The link to the final report is:
GWADD Strategic Broadband Planning Final Project Report 10-2016.pdf
The Kentucky Communications Network Authority (KCNA) announced in December 2016 that the City of Ashland Kentucky completed a broadband strategic planning project, funded under a KCNA grant. The broadband plan is intended to be the City’s strategic “roadmap” for improving broadband connectivity, capacity and utilization for Ashland and the region. Michael Baker International provided consultation services for this engagment. The link to the final report is:
Ashland E-nnovation Broadband Strategic Plan.pdf
Ashland Ennovation Broadband Strategic Plan_Lessons Learned 2.pdf
November 2016, the Southeastern Kentucky Final Mile (SKY FM) broadband fiber planning project released a broadband action plan-- the first step in expanding high-speed broadband across Clay, Knott, Leslie, Letcher and Perry Counties. This plan helps communities identify priorities in anticipation of the KentuckyWired middle mile fiber network—plans for how to expand networks and use them more effectively. Connected Nation (CNX) provided consultation services for this enggament. The link to the final report is:
SKY FM Southeastern Kentucky Final Mile Five County Broadband Plan.pdf
Guides for Planning/Funding
The following links contain information regarding community fiber planning and funding:
National Telecommunication & Information Administration Links
Community Planning
The Commonwealth is pleased to announce that The Broadband Planning Facilitation and Training Services Request for Proposal (RFP 1600000022) has been awarded to two vendors. The vendors will provide services statewide on behalf of the Commonwealth’s Office of Broadband Outreach and Development.
Webinars
To help communities and providers prepare for expanded broadband, project staff recently worked with CTC Technology and Energy to offer a series of free webinars on a variety of broadband topics. While the webinars have been completed you can view them below.
Survey of Federal Funding for Broadband
Deploying fiber rich infrastructures in local communities is an expensive proposition and meeting those costs often requires a variety of creative applications. This webinar will cover the range of often unknown federal funding options available for local community broadband projects using a variety of creative approaches, from serving your schools to partnering with rural healthcare establishments and how to uncover resources in your community that can serve as assets in funding applications. Webinar 2015-10-15
Powerpoint available here
Broadband Business Planning: Understanding the Broadband Market and How to Address it
What are the demographic and resource values in your community and region that make it a valuable broadband market? How do you assess community demand for specific broadband services and applications, and the actual availability of broadband services to meet that demand? This webinar will simplify the seemingly complex broadband business planning process and will provide a clear path on how to understand your local broadband market and how to utilize it to meet local needs. Webinar 2015-10-26
Powerpoint available here
Broadband Technologies: Understanding the Full range of Technical Options and Opportunities
Not all broadband technologies are created equal. Broadband is a loose term that can be applied to a range of different technologies—each of which offers different capabilities and limitations, each with a wide range of speeds and reliability characteristics. This webinar will cover the full range of technical options and opportunities available for deploying broadband services and will importantly emphasize each ones advantages and disadvantages, and scalability to meet future demands. Webinar 2015-11-5
Powerpoint available here
An Introduction to Broadband Planning: How to build stakeholder involvement in your region
From commerce, education, healthcare and government services, the demand for more advanced, reliable, and affordable broadband is challenging local communities to develop effective strategies for connecting their citizens, businesses, and institutions. This webinar will provide an introduction to broadband planning, and will cover among other aspects, how to identify public sector, businesses, industrial and other organizational resources and to build stakeholder involvement in your region. Webinar 2015-11-24
Powerpoint available here
Broadband planning for electric utilities: funding strategies, business options and technical considerations.
Kentucky’s diverse demographic and geographic characteristics place its local electric utilities in a key position to respond to significant unmet broadband needs in the state. This webinar will address the broadband planning needs from the perspective of local electric utilities, and will cover funding strategies, business options and technical considerations in light of the unique resources local electric utilities possess. Webinar 2015-12-17
Powerpoint available here