Scott County Judge/Executive Joe Pat Covington and KACo's 2nd Vice President Magistrate David Livingston were joined at a press conference this week by local and state leaders, including Senate Majority Leader Damon Thayer and Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture Ryan Quarles for the announcement.
The process to expand internet access in the county began over two years ago with research into potential partners and subsequent requests for proposals. County officials worked with more than six potential firms to coordinate bids and present them to the fiscal court. Spectrum’s parent company, Charter, was chosen by the fiscal court as the winning bid.
Charter came out on top largely because of its proposed massive investment in Scott County - the company has committed to contribute more than $18 million for the project. The Scott County Fiscal Court is set to invest just over $3 million alongside Spectrum's $18 million commitment.
Covington emphasized the importance of reliable internet access due to an increase in remote work and learning, along with the many other basic daily tasks that require the internet today. He is eager to see the positive impact on families, citizens and overall economic development that widespread internet access will have on the county.
“Since I became Judge [in 2019], this has been the biggest request for help,” said Covington. “For me, it is the perfect example of the government seeing an issue, putting steps in action to solve the issue, and answering the calls from citizens by fixing the problem.”
The project is set to be finished within 24 months, making Scott County one of the best connected communities in the country. Covington noted that public Wi-Fi in various parts of the community, downtown Georgetown as well as a handful of public parks, is a recent addition to the agreement. Along with expanded broadband access to over 5,000 homes, Spectrum has committed to upgrade the entirety of their service in Scott County to increased speeds within the next five years.
“I mean, talk about a company investing in a community,” said Covington. “An $18 million investment from Spectrum to match our investment of $3 million, it is a pretty great return on investment for the county.”
