Lexington, Kentucky
As Kentucky’s second-largest city, Lexington is the financial, educational, retail, health care, service, and cultural center of the state’s Bluegrass region. Its workforce is diverse, and the city is characterized by low unemployment rates and high levels of educational attainment.
Both Kentucky and Lexington have received national recognition for initiatives and programs that enhance communities in terms of education, technology, and workforce development. For example, Kentucky’s statewide technology alliance, ConnectKentucky, received the U.S. Department of Commerce Excellence in Economic Development Award in 2006, and Lexington was recognized in 2007 as the 11th Most Educated Workforce in the U.S. by Business Facilities magazine.
Kentucky “is a leader among all states with regard to broadband expansion and seen as a model… While broadband availability is nearly 100%, broadband adoption still needs to grow. While broadband availability is important, adoption of the technology is what impacts the economy and changes lives… I look forward to the day when Kentucky has full broadband adoption…” (ConnectKentucky executive director René True quoted in a Connected Nation press release, 2/26/08). According to the Q3 2007 ConnectKentucky Residential Survey, 66% of Fayette County respondents now have broadband access at home, up from 53% in 2005.
In Lexington, the Knight Center has begun working with community partners to identify opportunities to facilitate increased broadband adoption and expand applications to benefit more citizens.