ConnectKentucky
Encyclopedia
ConnectKentucky is a partnership of private firms and the Commonwealth of Kentucky that aims to make broadband
Internet access available throughout the state. Primarily funded through county, local, and federal grant programs, the 501(c)(3) organization's CEO, Brian Mefford, aims to make broadband connections of at least 768kbit/s accessible to "100 percent of Kentucky homes." The organization is headquartered in Bowling Green, Kentucky
, but has attracted attention from Washington lawmakers. Noted technologist and Congressman Rick Boucher
said of the project: "If it works in Kentucky, in such a rural state, I think it could provide wonders nationwide."
Due in part to the largely public nature of the program, government sponsored programs such as "No Child Left Offline," targeted at ensuring Internet access to school children, and requirements in various bidding process. Proposals include requirements for integrating these new networks with those of local governments, ranging from providing proprietary services aimed at first-responders to providing wireless backbones to educational institutions.
Subdivided by region, some daughter projects include plans for major wireless rollouts. One such project, ConnectGRADD, focuses upon the largely rural Green River Area Development District, consisting of Daviess
, Hancock
, Henderson
, McLean
, Ohio
, Union
and Webster
counties. Their fiscal court
s intend to use considerable sums of coal severance and slightly smaller new debts to ensure their residents have access to wireless ISP service that meets the minimum 768kbit/s called for by the state-wide program. The two relatively populous areas, Owensboro
and Henderson
, both have local municipally-owned wireless ISPs that largely met the goals of ConnectKentucky within and near their city limits prior to its conception. These ISPs both operate over unlicensed spectra, largely centered around Alvarion
-branded pre-WiMAX
equipment, and compete with cable and telecommunications providers for the urban marketplace. However, all but one of the four smaller counties were home to less than 16,000 people at the 2000 Census, and none had a population of over 23,000. These areas are largely underserved prior the ConnectGRADD rollout: Only 20% of households in Webster County, for instance, were subscribed to broadband Internet services, compared with a 32% state average in 2005.
Only a trivial 15% of the households of Ohio County were being served, and even the heaviest adopters, Henderson County, were only subscribing to such services from 29% of homes.
ConnectKentucky, as well as its national offshoot Connected Nation, is heavily criticized by telecommunications policy experts for its model of research and mapping, lack of citizen involvement, and potential financial ties to AT&T and former Bell companies.
Broadband
The term broadband refers to a telecommunications signal or device of greater bandwidth, in some sense, than another standard or usual signal or device . Different criteria for "broad" have been applied in different contexts and at different times...
Internet access available throughout the state. Primarily funded through county, local, and federal grant programs, the 501(c)(3) organization's CEO, Brian Mefford, aims to make broadband connections of at least 768kbit/s accessible to "100 percent of Kentucky homes." The organization is headquartered in Bowling Green, Kentucky
Bowling Green, Kentucky
Bowling Green is the third-most populous city in the state of Kentucky after Louisville and Lexington, with a population of 58,067 as of the 2010 Census. It is the county seat of Warren County and the principal city of the Bowling Green, Kentucky Metropolitan Statistical Area with an estimated 2009...
, but has attracted attention from Washington lawmakers. Noted technologist and Congressman Rick Boucher
Rick Boucher
Frederick Carlyle "Rick" Boucher is the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 1983 until 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party.-Early life, education and career:...
said of the project: "If it works in Kentucky, in such a rural state, I think it could provide wonders nationwide."
Due in part to the largely public nature of the program, government sponsored programs such as "No Child Left Offline," targeted at ensuring Internet access to school children, and requirements in various bidding process. Proposals include requirements for integrating these new networks with those of local governments, ranging from providing proprietary services aimed at first-responders to providing wireless backbones to educational institutions.
Subdivided by region, some daughter projects include plans for major wireless rollouts. One such project, ConnectGRADD, focuses upon the largely rural Green River Area Development District, consisting of Daviess
Daviess County, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 91,545 people, 36,033 households, and 24,826 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 38,432 housing units at an average density of...
, Hancock
Hancock County, Kentucky
Hancock County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1829. As of 2000, the population was 8,392. It is included in the Owensboro, Kentucky, Metropolitan Statistical Area. Its county seat is Hawesville. The county is named for John Hancock...
, Henderson
Henderson County, Kentucky
Henderson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1799. As the latest census data update of 2010, the population was counted 46,250. The county seat is the City of Henderson. The county was named for Colonel Richard Henderson who originally purchased of land...
, McLean
McLean County, Kentucky
McLean County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky; its population was 9,938 in the 2000 Census. McLean County's county seat is at Calhoun....
, Ohio
Ohio County, Kentucky
Ohio County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 22,916. Its county seat is Hartford. The county is named for the Ohio River, which originally formed its northern boundary. It is a dry county, which means that the sale of alcohol is restricted or...
, Union
Union County, Kentucky
Union County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1811. As of 2010, the population was 15,007. Its county seat is Morganfield.-Geography:Union County is part of the Western Coal Fields region of Kentucky...
and Webster
Webster County, Kentucky
Webster County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. Webster County was formed in 1860 from parts of the counties of Henderson, Hopkins, and Union. As of 2000, the population is 14,120. Its county seat is Dixon. The county was named for American statesman Daniel Webster...
counties. Their fiscal court
Fiscal Court
The Fiscal Court, under the Kentucky Constitution of 1891, is the name given to the county legislature and governing body of each of the counties in Kentucky. Despite the name, it no longer has any responsibility for judicial proceedings....
s intend to use considerable sums of coal severance and slightly smaller new debts to ensure their residents have access to wireless ISP service that meets the minimum 768kbit/s called for by the state-wide program. The two relatively populous areas, Owensboro
Owensboro, Kentucky
Owensboro is the fourth largest city by population in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It is the county seat of Daviess County. It is located on U.S. Route 60 about southeast of Evansville, Indiana, and is the principal city of the Owensboro, Kentucky, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's...
and Henderson
Henderson, Kentucky
Henderson is a city in Henderson County, Kentucky, United States, along the Ohio River in the western part of the state. The population was 27,952 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Evansville Metropolitan Area often referred to as "Kentuckiana", although "Tri-State Area" or "Tri-State" are more...
, both have local municipally-owned wireless ISPs that largely met the goals of ConnectKentucky within and near their city limits prior to its conception. These ISPs both operate over unlicensed spectra, largely centered around Alvarion
Alvarion
Alvarion Ltd. , is a 4G communications company. The company manufactures and exports a range of network solutions, including WiMAX, IEEE, PtMP, TD-LTE and WiFi to service providers and enterprises covering a variety of industries such as mobile broadband, residential and business broadband,...
-branded pre-WiMAX
WiMAX
WiMAX is a communication technology for wirelessly delivering high-speed Internet service to large geographical areas. The 2005 WiMAX revision provided bit rates up to 40 Mbit/s with the 2011 update up to 1 Gbit/s for fixed stations...
equipment, and compete with cable and telecommunications providers for the urban marketplace. However, all but one of the four smaller counties were home to less than 16,000 people at the 2000 Census, and none had a population of over 23,000. These areas are largely underserved prior the ConnectGRADD rollout: Only 20% of households in Webster County, for instance, were subscribed to broadband Internet services, compared with a 32% state average in 2005.
Only a trivial 15% of the households of Ohio County were being served, and even the heaviest adopters, Henderson County, were only subscribing to such services from 29% of homes.
ConnectKentucky, as well as its national offshoot Connected Nation, is heavily criticized by telecommunications policy experts for its model of research and mapping, lack of citizen involvement, and potential financial ties to AT&T and former Bell companies.