President Joe Biden addressed attendees today at The National Association of Counties Legislative Conference and mentioned the Fioptics program in Boone, Campbell and Kenton Counties.
According to the association, nearly 2,000 county officials from around the country were in attendance to focus on federal policy issues.
“This is all in the beginning,” Biden said. “Hundreds of billions of new investments are on the way. Now it’s time for the counties to get ready. You don’t have to wait until the projects start. You can use your resources from the American Rescue Plan now.”
The conference comes after passing the $1 trillion infrastructure bill in November and the American Rescue Plan Act last winter.
“You can look forward to an infrastructure decade… It’s already making a tangible difference,” Biden said.
As reported by LINK nky, on Feb. 3, Campbell County Judge/Executive Steve Pendery announced at the Dayton City Council meeting on Feb. 1, that Kenton, Boone and Campbell Counties entered a contract with Cincinnati Bell to provide Fiber Optic cables to any resident or business in Northern Kentucky that wants one.
Fiber Optics transmits more data over longer distances and faster than other mediums, making it optimal for businesses or people who work from home.
“Boone County, Campbell County, Kenton County, Kentucky, where you’re expanding high-speed internet to nearly 100,000 homes and businesses,” Biden said. “How many times did you ride by McDonald’s parking lot in the middle of the pandemic and see people out there sitting with mom and dad trying to get into the network so that their kids can do their homework remotely? This is United States of America, for God’s sake.”
NKY residents will be a part of The Affinity Program through Cincinnati Bell. The Affinity Program will allow residents to get more bandwidth for less money. Meaning if you want 750 megabytes of internet, you will only be charged for the current 500-megabyte rate.
“Access to education, healthcare, and employment opportunities are the great equalizers in our society, and high-speed Internet is absolutely essential to level the playing field in Northern Kentucky,” said Tom Simpson, Chief Operating Officer of Cincinnati Bell. “We are imagining the possibilities of fiber, and we’re excited about partnerships like these that are helping to bring that reality to life for their communities.”
Pendery announced at the Dayton City Council meeting that upon completion of the project, Northern Kentucky would be the largest area in the nation that has fiber to the door.
