In the largely rural Georgetown-Scott County, KY region, over the time of the pandemic, the local authorities made strides in retooling their ordinances to try and lure telecom developers into the area. As WTVG-TV reports, those efforts to streamline the zoning rules have paid off. The full set of revisions, viewed here, were both proposed and accepted this past February and the state has recently responded with broadband funding to get the ball rolling.
“It’s gonna be Christmas in August for us,” said Scott County resident Beth Smith. She is one of 5,000 Scott County residents who will have reliable WiFi connections available for the first time. A $21 million partnership between the county and Spectrum will kick off the installation with starting speeds of 200 Mbps and no modem fees, data caps or contracts. There are also plans with speeds available up to 1 Gbps.
“I applaud Charter and Scott County for recognizing the needs of our rural areas and finding creative ways to ensure they have the tools they need to thrive,” said Commissioner Ryan Quarles of the Kentucky Department of Agriculture. He pointed out that modern farming and students working from home all benefit from digital outreach.
“This is great news for residents and businesses in unserved parts of Scott County that felt isolated without access to unlimited opportunities the internet provides. I am delighted with the cooperative process between Scott County and Charter Communications that makes this possible,” Scott County Judge-Executive Joe Pat Covington told WTVG-TV.
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