U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Kentucky State Director Travis T. Burton today joined Congressman James Comer to announce a $1.3 million grant awarded to West Kentucky & Tennessee Telecommunications Cooperative.
The grant will be used to help expand broadband access in Carlisle County, Kentucky.
“Whether it’s to run a small business or get your children logged into a digital classroom, broadband access is a necessity in today’s day and age,” said Burton. “Thanks to the leadership of President Trump and Secretary Rollins, USDA Rural Development continues to partner with communities and cooperatives to help bolster our nation’s infrastructure and expand opportunity across rural Kentucky.”
West Kentucky & Tennessee Telecommunications Cooperative will use a $1,301,696 Community Connect Grant to construct a fiber-to-the-premises system to benefit 72 people and seven farms in Carlisle County, Kentucky. The network will deliver symmetrical speeds up to 2 gigabits per second, expanding access to economic, educational, health care and public safety opportunities. The project will also establish a publicly accessible community center within the service area open to all residents that will be furnished with two computers, printers and broadband connectivity.
The Community Connect Grant Program helps rural communities extend access where broadband service is least likely to be commercially available, but where it can make a tremendous difference in the quality of life for people and businesses. The projects funded by these grants help rural residents tap into the enormous potential of the Internet for jobs, education, healthcare, public safety, and community development.