High-speed internet for Northern Kentuckians has been a focus of regional leadership for years, as many rural residents in Kenton, Campbell and Boone counties lacked proper access.
In summer 2021, Kenton County negotiated an agreement with Altafiber, formerly Cincinnati Bell, to construct a high-speed fiber broadband network for every home in the county by August 2023.
Kenton County expanded Altafiber’s high-speed fiber broadband to nearly 11,500 total addresses as of July 2022, and 9,878 of those were single-family homes and 1,652 were multi-family units.
“We’re on plan to add about 6,300 more homes during the remainder of 2022, with Kenton County, Boone County, and Campbell County on schedule to be the first counties in the United States 100 percent covered by high-speed broadband by August 2023,” said Kenton County Judge/Executive Kris Knochelmann.
The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the deficiency of broadband connectivity across Kentucky. High-speed internet access is an important lifeline to education, health care and employment in the modern era.
Kenton, Campbell and Boone counties’ partnership with Altafiber aims to directly address medical and public health needs through telemedicine. The new high-speed fiber broadband network also aims to provide direct access to employment, promote economic growth, and mitigate the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on Northern Kentucky communities.