Todd Fiscal Court recently joined Christian County in designating significant resources toward expansion of broadband internet coverage through a partnership with Pennyrile Electric and Hopkinsville Electric System.
Magistrates on Friday approved using $2 million of American Rescue COVID relief funds for expansion of fiber internet access outside of Todd County’s three incorporated cities and Judge-Executive Todd Mansfield says anticipated matching of those funds by the state and the two utilities could produce over half of the funding needed for the $15 million project.
Judge Mansfield says the partnership with Pennyrile, HES and surrounding counties is likely the only way many homes and businesses in Todd County will ever have fiber access.
While it’s not a certainty, Judge Mansfield says he’s hopeful an eventual federal infrastructure bill will include additional funds for broadband expansion that can be put toward the project.
Christian County designated $13 million last week for the partnership to expand fiber access and Trigg County is strongly considering the matter.
It is expected to take approximately five years for the most remote areas of Todd County to have access to a fiber internet expansion.