Boone County’s Tax Court, Cincinnati Bell, Partners to Provide High-Speed ​​Internet Nationwide – Lane Report

BOONE COUNTY, Ky. Boone County’s Finance Court on March 23, 2021 approved a partnership with Cincinnati Bell Inc. that will result in the development of a 1 gigabit high-speed broadband fiber optic network available to every address in the county. This robust fiber optic network will be deployed within an accelerated time frame of 24 to 36 months.

As access to reliable, high-speed internet for residents and businesses has become an indispensable public service for home work, virtual learning, telemedicine and many other vital daily activities, this partnership will ensure that no areas of our county are left behind will improve the quality of life for the citizens of Boone County now and in the future. The Boone County Tax Court’s $ 13.6 million commitment will leverage an investment by Cincinnati Bell of more than $ 30 million to complete the project.

The expansion of broadband will make Boone County a technology leader as one of the first county governments in the country to offer high-speed gigabit broadband service to any address in its jurisdiction. A characteristic element of this project will be a complete fiber optic structure on the last mile, capable of delivering speeds of one gigabyte. This access is provided via a state-of-the-art “Fiber to the Premise” network (FTTP).

“Providing access to high-speed service for every address in the county is critical to creating a high quality of life environment and positioning our county as a community of choice for residents and businesses,” said Gary Moore, Boone County Judge / General Manager. “The partnership with Cincinnati Bell will leverage significant private equity investments that would not have been made without the tax court’s commitment and cement our position at the forefront of economic development, innovation and focus on the needs of our citizens.”

As part of the partnership:

– Cincinnati Bell will expand its fiber optic network and offer gigabit Internet service to every address in the county This will be expanded to more than 40,000 currently underserved and underserved business and consumer addresses. These consumer addresses include both single family homes and apartment buildings.

– The service is provided under a “Fiber First” strategy that uses a “Fiber to the Premise” network design, allegedly installing fiber optic cables along every mile of Boone County’s road. The fiber optic backbone should ensure a capacity that will meet all future developments and technology upgrades.

– Cincinnati Bell is offering a Boone County Affinity Internet Package to every Boone County resident.

– UniCity, Cincinnati Bell’s smart city organization, will fund $ 500,000 worth of improvements to Boone County’s public Wi-Fi infrastructure. UniCity works with communities to leverage technology applications that support business district vibrancy, neighborhood improvements, and public safety.

Qualified K-12 students in Boone County will have access to discounted-rate programs for the Internet at home, as well as other subsidized broadband programs, subject to availability.

Cincinnati Bell has a long history and advanced experience delivering and managing large and complex wired and wireless projects. As the leading provider of fiber optic services in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, Cincinnati Bell has invested more than $ 1 billion in building a fiber optic network across the region since 2010.

Boone County’s initiative supports the company’s goal of finding creative solutions to delivering high quality fiber connectivity to everyone, especially those who are underserved and underserved. Nursing Resources, “said Tom Simpson, Cincinnati Bell’s chief operating officer. “We are excited to partner with Boone County and appreciate the tax court’s leadership in supporting digital equity and equal access to high-speed broadband Internet.”