State officials were in Owensboro Tuesday to discuss Kentucky’s efforts to bring reliable, high-speed internet to as many people as possible. Local leaders, business owners, and residents gave some insight to what they see as the top issues to focus on as Kentucky develops its state broadband plan.
The stop in Owensboro was the third of 14 across Kentucky and was held at the GRADD office. A few dozen people attended and were given the chance to both answer questions and ask a few of their own. However, most of the event was a high-level overview of the state’s broadband plan.
The Office of Broadband Development was established in 2022. According to their website, the office aims “to improve broadband accessibility for unserved and underserved communities and populations, drive job creation, promote innovation, and expand markets for Kentucky businesses and industries, and serve the needs of Kentucky’s agricultural, educational, health care, and public safety systems, governmental operations, and citizens.”
That office is holding the listening tour in collaboration with the Education and Labor Cabinet. Tuesday’s session was led by Wes Kerr with Connected Nation, a Kentucky-based nonprofit consulting group hired by the Office of Broadband Development.
Kerr told attendees the state’s goal was “to hear from communities and people such as yourselves, what your needs are, what your concerns are, what your challenges are, what you’re confused on with this broadband initiative, and how that relates to internet connectivity in your communities and your homes.”
He added, “As we continue our planning, it’s very important for us to understand the current situation in the commonwealth regarding connectivity.”
Members of the audience represented several facets of the region, including business owners, rural homeowners, low-income households, veterans, individuals with disabilities, minority groups, and more.
Some of the discussions revolved around the inconveniences of not having access to high-speed or reliable internet. One person gave the specific example of people — especially those who are older — traveling long distances for in-person office visits to healthcare specialists instead of being able to utilize virtual consults.
Attendees also pointed out various “gaps” when it comes to rural internet, including areas such as: coverage, access to internet-capable devices, people with the skills to address problems, and even the simple knowledge about how to find providers or public hotspots.
The state does not yet have definitive answers or a fully specified plan on how to address such issues — that’s the whole point of the listening tour — but Kerr said officials know the plan will include broadband education. He said that includes everything from teaching older users how to navigate modern devices to explaining how to protect sensitive information, along with information on providers.
A portion of the session addressed what Kerr called “digital inclusion.” He asked the audience to describe internet connectivity in the region. The most common word was expensive, while there were several others that revovled around the ideas of slow speeds, inconsistency, and unreliability.
Kerr and audience members also briefly discussed how the entire education and business landscapes are changing as they both continue to be more reliant on internet connectivity.
Schools, from the elementary to college level, are offering more and more classes online. The pandemic exponentially accelerated that change, so much so that many schools now utilize various versions of conducting virtual classes when school buildings are closed for snow days.
The business world similarly felt a major shift to working from from home over the last few years. One person in the audience said he’s moved his entire corporation to working from home, and that it’s saved him about $200,000 per month in monthly real estate costs. Audience members also noted that by allowing people to work from home, employees can move somewhere with a lower cost of living — which could help with retention and employee morale.
For both fields, increasing access to high-speed internet is crucial for Kentucky to remain competitive and modern.
Because they are still taking feedback on what they should focus on, the state is not yet able to provide many details on their internet initiative. More information is expected after they wrap up the listening tour.
To learn more about the initiative or to register to attend any of the remaining tour stops, click here.
