Contact Us

SOAR

  • Who we serve
  • Get to Work
    • Discover Talent
    • Job Seekers
    • Gain Skills
      • Code Kentucky
      • Generation
    • EKY Runway Program
  • SOAR Innovation
    • Watch tutorials
    • Apply for funding
    • Training Opportunities
  • Attend events
    • 2025 SOAR Summit
    • View More Events
  • Work with Us
  • Learn
    • Read news and updates
    • Access free eBooks
    • Get funding help
    • Meet the team
    • Work with us
    • Get email updates
  • Give

The Center for Rural Development working on the frontlines of technology, broadband

Posted on 8 years ago


Photo 4 workshop 102 crowd 9501.jpg

Through a partnership with the Commonwealth of Kentucky on the KentuckyWired project, The Center for Rural Development (The Center) and Shaping Our Appalachian Region, Inc. (SOAR) are making progress on addressing the digital divide for Eastern Kentucky.

The KentuckyWired project, an ambitious endeavor to bring high-speed, high-capacity middle-mile internet access to every county in Kentucky, will change the digital landscape of Eastern Kentucky.  Once completed, no county will be without the ability to access the internet at speeds previously reserved for larger metropolitan areas.

Once these middle mile access points are available, our communities will then have the opportunity to build out from there. There are many ways to accomplish this “final-mile” build and each community will seek its own solution. It may be in working with existing local internet providers or encouraging formation of new ones if they don’t currently exist.  It may also be that communities will want to build public fiber infrastructure to the homes and businesses.  It may even take a mixture of creative partnering and planning to see that everyone is served.

The Center and SOAR have created the Last-Mile Action Team (LMAT) to help communities through this process. Through this partnership, and with the help of a talented and diverse team of individuals, we are providing technical assistance and are educating communities on virtually every aspect of developing internet access and adoption strategies.

The LMAT has created a series of daylong workshops that bring in experts from around the nation and throughout Kentucky to answer questions and provide advice. These workshops have been well attended and the participants have been very engaged in discussions ranging from technical acumen to financial and management strategies. The Center also offers one-on-one assistance and public awareness help.     

 

Previous Post
AML Projects to benefit many communities in Appalachia Kentucky
Next Post
Healthy Communities initiative bringing resources together to address disparities

SOAR

Resources

  • Get online
  • Find work
  • Get business help
  • Read news and updates
  • Download free eBooks
  • Contact us

Contact

info@soar-ky.org
(606) 766-1160
137 Main Street, Ste. 300 Pikeville, KY 41501, United States
Facebook
LinkedIn
Instagram
Twitter
YouTube

Photos Courtesy of Cris Ritchie Photography

© 2025 Shaping Our Appalachian Region. All Rights Reserved.