Kenton County plans to make high-speed internet available to all residents.
“One of Kenton County’s top priorities is to deliver access to high-speed broadband internet to all of our families. That goal is now becoming a reality with the approval of our contract with Cincinnati Bell to make their high speed internet fiber-to-the-premise network available to all residents in the next 24 to 36 months, offering one gigabit speeds to an additional 37,000 addresses,” Judge/Executive Kris Knochelmann said.
The COVID-19 pandemic fully exposed the deficiency of broadband connectivity across the Commonwealth. High-speed internet has become, in this time of technological innovation, an essential lifeline to education, healthcare and employment. In areas where the digital divide is greatest, residents are disconnected from services and opportunities vital to their health and welfare.
After a competitive bidding process, Kenton County negotiated a contract with Cincinnati Bell to assure construction of a high-speed fiber-to-the-premise broadband network to every home in the county, from those overlooking the Ohio River to those on the border of Grant County, in the next 24-36 months.
Providing quality internet to unserved and underserved areas of the community is vital to the County’s future. As importantly, fiber-to-the-premise assures that this initiative is “future proofed” and will hold up for 40 or more years.
Cincinnati Bell will immediately begin extending their fiber-to-the-premise solution to homes and businesses a month in Kenton County that currently don’t have fiber available.
The initial fiber construction schedule plan is for 100% fiber-to- the-premise coverage to be completed by August 2023. They will also be extending fiber to multi-family units during this process.
Along with Boone and Campbell counties, who are also contracting with Cincinnati Bell, Northern Kentucky will become the first counties in the United States that are 100% fiber-to-the premise served.
