The internet is getting faster in Boone County, and leaders believe it’s the key to economic growth.
A year ago, Cincinnati Bell launched a project across Northern Kentucky to upgrade internet access everywhere by laying miles of fiber optic cable in the ground. The improvements mean residents will have access to 1 Gig Wi-Fi, among the fastest speeds on the market.
Work began locally after an agreement was struck with Boone County in March 2021. Across Boone, Kenton and Campbell counties, the investment totals over $35 million in public funds, according to David Kramer, senior director of corporate strategy and development for Cincinnati Bell.
Now, the Boone County internet upgrade is on pace to be completed ahead of schedule.
Kramer noted the plan is to provide high-speed internet to 26,000 homes in Boone over three years. He said where they are building is “geographically diverse,” meaning they aren’t just targeting neighborhoods that need an internet boost now.
“I call it the Blender Theory,” he said. “When we say we want to fix the good and the bad areas (of internet access) throwing in all the doors of the county together, we make it more appealing versus a lot of counties saying they only want to fix the bad areas,” Kramer said. “An example of this is when I first start talking to Boone County, I was like, ‘Hey, I can build 9,000 doors in your bad areas for $12 million– or, guess what? I can build your whole county for $15 million.’”
Kramer said making the upgrades to all homes with this system makes it, “future proof,” meaning an upgrade in internet infrastructure may not be needed for another 15 to 20 years. While homes have access to 1 Gig internet now, the cables in the ground have the capacity to offer up to 10 gigs per home, but the technology to do so in a home doesn’t exist yet, Kramer said.
He said upgrades were made at 9,500 homes last year and 3,500 homes so far this year. The plan also includes improvements to rental units, but those developments will happen at the discretion of the property owners.
While Cincinnati Bell is leading the expansion, residents have the option but are not required to become Cincinnati Bell customers after the upgrades come to their neighborhoods.
Though the project began last year, this idea has been on the books for over two decades.
Boone County development plans dating back to the early 2000s show improving internet infrastructure is a long-term goal. A plan from 2001 lists expanding internet access to encourage telecommuting as an objective for the county in 20 years.
Judge-Executive Gary Moore said the investment is about quality of life.
“This state-of-the-art, high-speed internet system will add to the overall quality of life of Boone Countians, especially for those who work from home, learn from home, and prefer E-health visits,” Moore said. “This is another example of how Boone County is leading the way.”
