Hazard, KY. – On June 6th, 2019, The Center for Rural Development and SOAR hosted the “Broadband and Barbecue: Connecting Rural Communities” event in Hazard. It was a great networking opportunity for many Southern and Eastern Kentuckians who came together to discuss the future of broadband in the state. Attendees discussed how to improve access to high-speed affordable broadband in communities and how to leverage that connectivity to grow local economies. The day included panel discussions regarding remote work, business and startups, and last mile providers; KentuckyWired shared information about the middle mile; and Larry Combs from The Center shared information about our Technology Assistance Program (TAP). Combs provided insight about how to prepare TAP grant applications.

Please click on the links below to view video of each session: 

Remote Work Panel

Business & Start-up Panel

Middle Mile with KentuckyWired

Last Mile Resources: Technology Assistance Program (TAP)

We encourage anyone interested in learning more about TAP funding through The Center for Rural Development to click here.

Last Mile Providers Panel

Special thanks to our partners at The Center for Rural Development for their help in coordinating this event. To learn more about their organization, please click here.