LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Kentucky's proposal to bring high-speed internet to several rural areas of the state was federally approved, paving the way for state leaders to request more than $1 billion for the effort.

Last June, President Joe Biden announced Kentucky's portion of $42.45 billion federal grant from the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program, the country's largest-ever investment in high-speed internet. The program prioritizes projects on areas with slower internet speeds. The Federal Communications Commission said Kentucky has almost 260,000 unserved locations.

"High-speed internet isn't just the infrastructure of the future, it's the infrastructure of right now," Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said Monday. "It's something that everybody wants, and it needs to be both accessible and affordable. That's why the BEAD program is transformational. It's a chance for everybody to chase their dreams — whether that's applying for a new job or applying to college, getting the health care they need to feel their best, or starting a business in a rural area, but knowing they can sell their product across the country, all because they have high-speed internet."

In 2023, Beshear announced that Kentucky secured $1.1 billion through BEAD for high-speed internet access to every Kentuckian.

During a news conference Monday, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Natalie Quillian said they're making sure to reach areas that have no projects underway to provide high-speed internet.

"The most recent data shows that about 88% of Kentucky is served, leaving about 12% that is underserved," Quillian said. "That is an improvement over the prior filing of about 40,000 locations."

The commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission revealed Friday that Biden's program hasn't connected anyone with high-speed internet since the more than $40 billion plan passed in 2021. Beshear said a lot of federal guidelines need to be followed before work starts.

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