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Broadband project now in the works

October 13, 2006|Brittany Griffin

Local leaders will start designing projects to increase awareness of broadband technology and, they hope, speed up adoption among those with access, after their regular meeting with ConnectKentucky yesterday morning.The first project deals with the education sector, where broadband adoption has been the strongest. Extension Agent Frank Hicks and Linda Morefield, the coordinator of instructional research for the Kentucky Community and Technical College System, are on this team. Their goals will include helping local residents understand technology through training and classes that they create or identify.

The second project works with small businesses and organizations throughout the county to create and regularly update Web sites, as well as finding engaging applications for them. One big step, which is under construction, according to County Judge-Executive John Myers, is to create a county government Web site that will serve as a community portal. The portal would have links to other services and organizations, such as tourism and the Chamber of Commerce. This project team includes several business leaders, including Amy Scarborough, director of regulatory and external affairs for BellSouth, Harvey Frye, the owner of Central Kentucky Computer Solutions, and Shannon Denniston of KyWiFi, LLC.

The third project will expand e-government, which will look at several options to expand government services through the Internet. That could include public meeting information, payments, license renewals, registration forms, or any other uses as the leadership teams deems necessary. On this team are Myers, Deputy Judge-Executive Sheila Vaughn, state Rep. Don Pasley and Winchester First Director Lara Early.

Anyone who is interested in discussing or seeing the progress of these teams can look at Clark County's discussion forum on ConnectKentucky's Web site, at http://apps.connectkentucky.org/forum. Users must register with a username and password, but anyone can do so, ConnectKentucky's Regional Manager Sage Cutler said.

ConnectKentucky is a nonprofit group that is heading Gov. Ernie Fletcher's broadband initiative, which aims to have broadband Internet service throughout the state by 2007. Currently, Kentucky ranks 44th in the nation in the proportion of high-tech companies, 45th in use of computers in the home and 43rd in Internet use among its residents. The group is made of partnerships with private and public entities, which collaborate with local leaders across Kentucky to develop plans for technology expansion at the local level.

ConnectKentucky will now meet with the project teams on a quarterly schedule to check on the progress of these projects, and the next meeting will be Thursday, Jan. 18, 2007, at 10 a.m. in the Clark County Extension Office.

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