Kentucky Wired agency under fire as lawmakers weigh changes

LOUISVILLE, Ky (WDRB) -- The office that runs Kentucky Wired — the $1.5 billion state project bringing high-speed internet statewide — is like cleaning house and making an even bigger mess before finishing.

Kentucky Wired spans roughly 3,400 miles of fiber connecting county and state governments, universities, state police, and health care facilities. But the agency managing it is now under heavy scrutiny, with lawmakers and private partners both questioning how it’s being run.

"It’s not just a government issue," said John Gil, who operates KyFi, an internet provider serving Jessamine, Garrard, and Lincoln counties.

"It’s going to affect where your kids go to school, your local library, local government offices, even health departments — from University of Kentucky all the way down to the smallest local offices."

Gil said his company initially relied on Kentucky Wired’s fiber network, but problems within the state’s broadband office forced him to move away from it.

"Yes, I did go away from it," Gil said. "It became too problematic."

At the heart of the controversy is an ongoing battle between KCNA, the state agency that oversees Kentucky Wired, and Accelecom, the private company contracted to manage and sell access to the fiber network.

The two have been lobbing accusations at each other for nearly two years. KCNA tried — unsuccessfully — to cancel Accelecom’s contracts in 2025, sparking legal disputes and operational confusion that continue today.

"Everything’s being ripped apart right now. It looks chaotic and messy,” one official close to the project said. "That’s where we’re at."

Two separate bills in the Kentucky General Assembly are now moving through the statehouse, both aiming to reshape how the Kentucky Wired program is managed day to day.

For Gil and others in the broadband business, the political and legal wrangling has made one thing clear — someone needs to bring order to the mess.

"It’s problematic," Gil said. “And I just didn’t need the headache."

One way or another — whether through legislation or a judge’s ruling — the future of Kentucky Wired will soon be decided.

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