Kentucky Budget Proposal Calls for $60 Million in Broadband Expenditures

FRANKFORT, KY – Governor Steve Beshear unveiled a two-year budget proposal that includes an allocation of $60 million in bonds to build the Next Generation Kentucky Information Highway, which will provide high-speed broadband capability for the entire state. An additional $40 million is planned from federal and private sources. Eastern Kentucky will be the first priority region.

Closing the Digital Divide
The Governor's proposed 2014-2016 biennial budget acknowledges that high-speed Internet access is no longer a luxury. It’s a critical need that supports economic development, education, health care and every business sector. Kentucky ranks 46th in broadband availability, and 23 percent of rural areas do not have any broadband access at all. The $60 million is intended to attack this gap and promote economic growth.

To increase Kentucky's long-term competitiveness the education part of the budget calls for $50 million for technology and school equipment upgrades, funded through general fund-supported bonds.