2019 Technology FINAL

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6 The Center Insider The Center anticipates work-from-home jobs made possible by KentuckyWired will help alleviate winter woes When fierce winter weather strikes, even a short commute to work can be an exhausting and dangerous undertaking. However, many Kentucky residents live in rural areas, far from their place of employment. This can make the journey to work impossible at times. Kentuckians are now looking forward to the completion of the statewide fiber broadband network that will change these circumstances. The KentuckyWired project will bring more than 3,000 miles of high-speed, high-capacity fiber infrastructure, often referred to as the “middle-mile” to all 120 Kentucky counties. Access will be provided for state agencies, as well as network capacity for local providers, who can extend last-mile infrastructure to local homes and businesses. The KentuckyWired fiber project will increase telecommunications capacity which means hundreds of new work-from-home employment opportunities are anticipated. This development will impact winter experiences for many rural Kentuckians. For those with work-from-home jobs, there is no daunting and dangerous commute to work. Those who work from home are not exposed to an office full of sick coworkers, thus making it much easier to continue to maintain income rather than calling in sick. Employers benefit as well, by maintaining productivity throughout bad weather and flu season. School snow days commonly impact parents work schedules as well. Working from home allows much more flexibility to care for children on snow days and sick days too. Employees even have the ability to enjoy their own comfortable office temperature, as they control the thermostat. Once the KentuckyWired fiber infrastructure is operational, the opportunity to work from home will be available to many more people. For those who are looking to begin their quest for legitimate at-home opportunities, Teleworks USA is a great starting point. Teleworks USA is already providing training to job seekers in Eastern Kentucky and helping them to find remote job opportunities. The program has forged active partnerships with multiple global telework employers in an effort to develop new job opportunities for Eastern Kentucky’s remote workforce. The Center for Rural Development is dedicated to helping communities explore ways to become “fiber ready,” in order to make reliable high-speed, highcapacity internet available to as many people as possible. It is important to note that Southern and Eastern Kentucky communities have this exceptional resource available to them as they explore how to prepare for the future. The Center for Rural Development has recently launched a new Technology Assistance Program (TAP) to help communities become “fiber-ready,” and is also working with internet service providers to extend last mile internet services from the KentuckyWired network using CenterLinks Access Nodes (CAN). The Center also has additional information about local, state, and federal funds that support the initiative to bring broadband access to rural areas. Communities interested in learning more about TAP, CAN, or broadband training opportunities are encouraged to contact The Center’s Broadband Technology Liaison, Scott Surber, at broadbandinfo@centertech.com or 606-677-6000 or visit www.centertech.com. Photo by: AnnaBeth Dry
Broadband and Barbecue: Connecting Rural Communities, Remote Work Panel Discussion The Center for Rural Development recently brought together community leaders from Southern and Eastern Kentucky for an informative broadband workshop in Hazard, KY. The event, dubbed “Broadband and Barbecue: Connecting Rural Communities,” served as a platform for discussion about the future of broadband in the state. Conversations centered on how to improve access to high-speed affordable broadband and how to leverage that connectivity to grow local economies. In order to address numerous aspects of the topic of broadband, the event was divided into several sessions. The day kicked off with a Remote Work Panel that provided employer, local government, and remote workers perspectives. Human Resource Business Partner Manager for General Dynamics IT, Cheryl Ellis explained that her company uses Teleworks USA hub site facilities in Hazard and Cumberland to provide training to employees and then deploys them to work from home. “We are planning to hire more people,” said Ellis. “This particular program that we work for will be hiring probably anywhere from 100 to 300 more people,” she added. “You know Hal Rogers said we were gonna have Silicon Holler. Well we’ve got a good start,” said Ellis. Michael Cornett, EKCEP Director of Agency Expansion and Teleworks USA, and panel moderator, added, “When people say: ‘There aren’t any jobs in Eastern Kentucky,’ that’s not true. That is absolutely not true. It’s a matter of connecting to them.” Lee County Judge-Executive, Chuck Caudill spoke of the transformation he has already begun to see in his community. “In Wolfe County and Lee County, we’re seeing an influx in the number of people coming to the area because internet access is making it possible for them to live the lifestyle they want to live, in a more rural environment, and still be able to work for large companies, and still have opportunities for a future.” Caudill also discussed the impact that improved connectivity is having for rural youth. “We’re seeing young people who have had to leave and they don’t have to leave anymore. Those who want to still have the opportunity, but now if they want to work for a company where they have a future, they can start and not leave Eastern Kentucky.” This sentiment echoes the words of U.S. Congressman Harold “Hal” Rogers, for whom The Center for Rural Development’s Rogers Scholars program is named. Rogers has often shared his beliefs that “we must stop exporting our young talent,” and “no young person should have to leave home to find his or her future.” Jeremiah Ford, a remote worker for Support.com, shared his perspective during the panel as well. “We live in an area that’s been so dependent on coal mining. You know, most towns have the same three gas stations, the same three restaurants, and all the same stop lights. So, $7.25 an hour compared to $11.50, $10.00, $13.00, whatever your contract is, makes a huge difference at the end of the day, about how thick that wallet gets, you know, and how easy it is to pay your bills,” Ford said. “We’re going to have to move forward with how we look at things, and I know that change is scary. But you either move with it or you get stuck in the past,” he added. Technology Edition 7
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2019 Technology FINAL

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