As part of a $2 billion, multi-year initiative to dramatically expand gigabit internet service across its 18-state footprint, Kinetic announced is deploying fiber to bring better internet to homes and businesses in Knox County, Kentucky. Fiber broadband services will be available to 5,000 Knox County residents from Kinetic by Windstream this spring.
Kinetic officials were joined on Feb. 21 by Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers, Knox County Judge/Executive Mike Mitchell, and local community leaders for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Knox County Courthouse, to celebrate the latest fiber expansion in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
“Over the past decade, the General Assembly has prioritized expansion of high-speed internet access into all corners of the Commonwealth — especially our rural areas that are unserved or underserved,” said Senator Stivers. “We appreciate the targeted efforts of strong community partners like Kinetic by Windstream, who are investing in our future and setting the stage for the success of Knox County and the southeast Kentucky region.”
Judge Mitchell praised both the immediate and long-term impacts the major fiber build will yield for the county.
“The Fiscal Court is excited to see Kinetic by Windstream launching this significant infrastructure project for our citizens,” said Judge Mitchell. “Expanding high-speed broadband connectivity will greatly increase opportunities for education, remote work, and telehealth, as well as positioning our community for future economic growth.”
Brian Harman, president of Kentucky operations for Windstream, noted that this initiative highlights Kinetic’s continued commitment to the Bluegrass State.
“Windstream has a long and successful track record of providing first-class internet service to communities across Kentucky, and our customers know they can rely on us to deliver,” said Harman. “We are proud to team up with Knox County to offer dependable, gig-speed internet to support local residents and businesses and to enhance overall quality of life.”
As a result of Kinetic’s multi-state network expansion, the company noted it either has or will have fiber in every county it serves in Kentucky over the next couple of years. From 2019 through 2021, the company invested more than $211 million to expand broadband access in the Commonwealth. More than 120,000 locations had access to gig speeds at the end of 2021.