Rural Connectivity & Today’s Workforce

12/08/2022

There are around 5 billion people using the internet. Over half the world’s population has access to the internet. Read that again, but let’s say it this way. Nearly half of the world’s population doesn’t have access to the internet. As this is coming to you via our website & likely email, that’s a little hard to believe, isn’t it?  

You’ll hear us say that South Western Kentucky is home to wide open spaces.  We’ve got communities small enough to know your neighbor, but full of opportunity to meet someone who’s not.  Woven together throughout Route 68, South Western Kentucky is a tri-county region bound to the Tennessee line.  It’s the kind of place where you don’t have to be kin to someone to help them out, and you give directions by landmark rather than mileage.  We’re the home of Fort Campbell, family-friendly festivals, and beautiful lakes.  You can strike a fine balance between wide open spaces and big opportunity in South Western Kentucky.  Our suburb proximity to Nashville, TN allows a South Western Kentucky resident to experience big city life within an hour’s ride.  Within an hour’s ride and an international flight…those with wanderlust or work elsewhere can be anywhere in just a few more hours.  But what about those that do live and work here in South Western Kentucky? 

Connectivity in even our most rural areas is of utmost importance.  With so many relying on internet connectivity, this becomes an economic development issue and a major site selection factor when considering expansion.  We hear from site selection consultants and companies alike – we need balance. The manufacturers looking to locate new operations are looking for workforce, but they also don’t want the high cost of living that comes with many urban hubs. In expansion, it’s a balance between having the workforce, the quality of life, and the costs that make sense for doing business. 

When it comes to digital connectivity, we’re very lucky in South Western Kentucky that each county in our region has made a significant investment commitment to bring fiber internet to the homes.  So, we’re not only offering connectivity to residents – we’re offering unwavering, reliable, fast connectivity through fiber internet. You can read more about the commitment to bring fiber internet to homes here.

Why is that so important? In today’s workforce it’s a given that our more urban areas where manufacturing is offered will be connected. In South Western Kentucky, all of our industrial parks are well connected. But with some of our manufacturers adopting more hybrid work schedules, with family members retaining remote work when relocating to South Western Kentucky, and with so many continuing their education remotely, it’s important that every resident is connected from where they choose to live. 

We’re thankful that the city and county governments and our utility partners are making this significant digital infrastructure investment so that South Western Kentucky remains a great place to live, work and play.