Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear and U.S Representative Hal Rodgers announced that two Requests for Proposals (RFP) issued in July, detail a public-private partnership (P3) project to build critically needed high speed broadband internet access to areas all over the state but especially focusing on Eastern Kentucky.
“Today only about half of Kentucky’s households use broadband internet service and nearly one quarter can’t access broadband at all,” Governor Beshear reports. Currently Kentucky ranks 46th in high speed broadband internet availability. The initial phase of the project is expected to take two years to build and will include more than 3,000 miles of fiber infrastructure.
The RFP was released by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in conjunction with the Center for Rural Development seeking private partners to build, operate, and maintain a statewide open access high speed broadband network plus a complementary RFP was issued seeking equity partners for the project.
Go to http://finance.ky.gov/services/eprocurement/pages/default.aspx to view the RFPs. Click on the Vendor Self Service link and choose public access.
Another effort is underway to invest in Eastern Kentucky to expand rural health care services. This effort involves USDA’s announcement that $43 million will be made available to help the eastern part of the state.
Recently USDA made $4.2million available through their Community Facilities Loan program to the South Williamson Appalachian Regional Hospital in Pike County to expand bed capacity in the ICU and upgrade other areas within the hospital. Community Facilities Loans and grants are made to help essential facilities in rural areas with priority given to healthcare facilities such as hospitals and public safety projects.
USDA has also announced that $115,000 would be made through USDA’s Rural Business Enterprise Grant (RBEG) program. USDA plans to partner with the Kentucky Highlands Investment Company, the Southeast Kentucky Economic Development Corporation, and Stallworth Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, to develop a revolving loan fund to expand pediatric and primary care.