The Commonwealth of Kentucky is forming a public-private partnership with Macquarie Capital to develop a 3,000-mile fiber backbone to provide statewide high-speed Internet connectivity, with the first components scheduled to be operational in less than two years. Macquarie's consortium partners include First Solutions, Fujitsu Network Communications, Black & Veatch, and Bowlin Group.
The Macquarie Capital team will design, develop and operate the network over the next 30 years. While the private sector partners will bear developmental and operational risks of the project, the Commonwealth will retain ownership of the network. Overall, the project is estimated to cost between $250 million and $350 million.
Kentucky ranks 46th in U.S. broadband availability, and 23% of rural areas in Kentucky do not have access to broadband. The project is intended to make fiber available in all 120 counties of the state, with underserved eastern Kentucky being the first priority area.
