Clay County Judge-Executive Tommy Harmon and The Center for Rural Development announce a broadband expansion project that will serve 147 households in the Brutus community

The Center for Rural Development today announced it is awarding a $100,000 grant to Clay County Fiscal Court for a broadband expansion project that will serve 147 households in the Brutus community. 

 

The funding, administered by The Center, is made possible through a grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) and the Kentucky Department for Local Government.

 

Clay County Judge-Executive Tommy Harmon and Lonnie Lawson, President and CEO of The Center for Rural Development, outlined plans for the Brutus Community Move the Needle Broadband Project at a joint broadband event and check presentation on Tuesday, Jan. 21, at the Clay County Administration Building.

 

The Clay County broadband expansion project is part of The Center’s Move the Needle initiative and its continuous efforts to facilitate broadband access to unserved and underserved areas in Southern and Eastern Kentucky.  

 

“The Brutus community, located in the northernmost part of Clay County, has often been described as one of the most remote areas of the county,” Harmon said. “For these 147 families, the funds provided by The Center for Rural Development’s Move the Needle Project will provide these residents reliable and affordable broadband to attend class, work, or just access the internet within a year.”

 

“I’d like to thank Judge-Executive Tommy Harmon and Lonnie Lawson, President and CEO of The Center for Rural Development, and their dedicated teams, in securing essential funding for this long-overdue infrastructure project,” said Senate President Robert Stivers, R-Manchester. “Internet connectivity has become vital for education, healthcare, and workforce development. I’m thrilled the Brutus community will now have this much-needed access.” 

 

The Move the Needle initiative focuses on expanding internet access in rural areas, particularly within The Center’s 45-county primary service region in Southern and Eastern Kentucky, by funding and facilitating broadband expansion projects in unserved and underserved areas. The goal is to significantly “move the needle” on broadband availability in those regions.

 

“We appreciate the work Judge Harmon and Clay County Fiscal Court have put into making this project a reality,” Lawson said. “The Center can provide technical assistance and expertise in broadband, but we need local leaders to step up and make things happen in their communities.” 

 

The Brutus Community Move the Needle Broadband Expansion project is expected to be completed in a year or less. Peoples Rural Telephone Cooperative (PRTC), out of McKee, was selected as the internet service provider for the project.

 

“Clay County Fiscal Court has worked closely with The Center for Rural Development and PRTC to expand services to the Brutus area and continues to look for funding so that all Clay County households and businesses can have access to reliable and affordable broadband,” Harmon said.

 

For more information about Move the Needle, contact Scott Surber, Broadband Technology Liaison, at 606-677-6000 or email ssurber@centertech.com. Visit www.centertech.com to learn more about broadband services available through The Center.