Kentucky legislators question KentuckyWired project during committee meeting

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Kentucky legislators raised questions about long-standing problems and financial concerns related to the KentuckyWired project Wednesday during an Information Technology Oversight Committee meeting.

WDRB has previously reported that the dispute between the state and the cable provider Accelecom is putting thousands of Kentuckians at risk of losing their internet service through the program.

The Kentucky Communications Network Authority (KCNA), the state agency that oversees the project, said Accelecom is to blame, citing that much of the network is unused, under-leased, and not recouping its costs.

$1 billion in taxpayer money has been spent to expand internet access through this system.

Accelecom said the problem is entirely the state's fault.

The Kentucky Auditor of Public Accounts is prepared to audit the KentuckyWired project.

The audit will look for answers to two main questions — why isn’t the project complete and what needs to be done to get there.

Accelecom's lawyers said it is willing to renegotiate with the state.

The next meeting of the committee is scheduled for August 13 at 10 a.m.

Previous Coverage:

Fiber optic provider denies blame, blasts state over KentuckyWired dispute

$1 billion fiber optic network meant to bridge Kentucky's digital divide sparks controversy

Broadband dispute escalates as Kentucky officials slam company over dark fiber access

Thousands could lose internet access as Kentucky cuts ties with fiber optic manager