Dive Brief:

• Kentucky recently announced that it has expanded high-speed, reliable internet to all of its 173 schools through a partnership with AT&T.
• Every school now has access to 480 Mbps broadband, exceeding the federal benchmark of 100 Mbps.
• The state says it is the first in the country to meet and exceed that benchmark.

Dive Insight:

States across the country are working to expand Internet access in schools, particularly in rural areas. For example, nearby Arkansas awarded $13 million in contracts to offer at least 100 kilobits per second to all of its schools. The FCC has encouraged state efforts and will offer matching funds in some cases. The involvement of private industry, as in Kentucky, is not unheard of either. State and federal dollars have encouraged companies like AT&T to expand access is places they have historically avoided for lack of profitability. 

In Kentucky, the public-private partnership has drawn praise from lawmakers. “This is a great example of private industry working closely with state government to meet the needs of the Commonwealth, and I am thrilled to know that our schools are leading the way and our students have access to a level of high-speed internet that is among the best in the nation,” said State Senator David Givens (R).