ConnectKentucky - Connecting rural America

The 2006 Winner of the United States Economic Development Administration's Excellence in Innovation Award ConnectKentucky programme is a public-private partnership charged with carrying out Kentucky's 'Prescription for Innovation' (page 22&23) comprehensive plan to accelerate technology growth. The partnership has now been recognized as the national leader in technology acceleration in rural communities, recognition gained due to the diverse ICT-based initiatives launched, of which the provision of inexpensive broadband services is the most visible. The outcomes are impressive: broadband availability has increased from 60% to 94%, broadband use at home has increased 73% and broadband use among Internet connected businesses rose from 65% to 85%.