Connecting to the Future
High-speed Internet access is crucial to economic development

Generally, the standard economic development pitch goes something like this: “We’ve got a beautiful city, excellent elementary and secondary schools, nearby colleges/universities, a skilled workforce and a wonderful place for people to live.”

But according to Dr. Linda Johnson, if you’re one of the high-tech companies that Kentucky wants to recruit, what you really want to know is:

• What’s the status of your network infrastructure?
• What is its quality and bandwidth capacity?
• How are the high-speed on-ramps to your network infrastructure, and is such access affordable, high quality and have a good range of vendor service?
• How are businesses, consumers and governments utilizing the network?

“The chief executive officers of high-tech companies want to know more when considering relocation or growing and fostering the development of information technology businesses,” Johnson, president of the Center for Information Technology Enterprises (CITE), points out.

“They also have employees who want to pay their taxes, sign up their children for soccer and check their children’s grades online.”

That’s why the connectkentucky project, coordinated by CITE, is so important, Johnson explains. The project’s purpose is to “prepare Kentucky for participation in the networked world and enhance its ability to attract, recruit and retain high-tech jobs for the state’s future.”

Currently, connectkentucky, a three-year statewide initiative, is assessing the status of the state in the networked world and creating a plan for the future. One part of the assessment concerns high-speed Internet access, which is affordable and available in Kentucky, although many individuals and businesses are not aware of that. Essentially, DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) and cable modem (computer connection to a local cable TV line) technologies make it possible to access information at speeds 10 times faster than through a dial-up modem.

Dr. Bill Brundage, commissioner of the Office for the New Economy and co-chair of the connectkentucky Steering Committee emphasizes that “access to affordable high-speed internet connectivity is important to Kentucky’s ability to compete for jobs and companies in the high-paying, high-tech information technology sector.

“High-speed access is really important for the rural areas of the state,” Johnson said, “because 85 percent of our firms in Kentucky are small businesses. Small businesses are looking for affordable ways to get on that main Internet super highway.”

Perhaps the most positive aspect of the report is a statewide action agenda that the connectkentucky Steering Committee has put in place:

• Increase public awareness of the benefits of e-commerce and e-learning to Kentucky’s businesses, governmental agencies and citizens.
• Create and implement market-driven strategies that increase business, consumer and government use of the Internet.
• Implement public policy initiatives that promote competition and eliminate regulatory barriers to increase Internet usage and enhance broadband deployment throughout Kentucky.

Under each action agenda are success measures that the committee will use to determine if the plans are succeeding.

Johnson, who has an extensive background in information technology strategy and policy planning, is among those impressed by the committee’s approach.

“I have not seen another state take such a bold approach to developing a state-wide agenda,” she concluded.

Ed Ford is a staff writer for The Lane Report
editorial@lanereport.com

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