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SCOTT COUNTY, Ky. (FOX 56) — More than 5,000 homes in Scott County currently do not have high-speed internet. But last month Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Rep. Andy Barr announced a multimillion-dollar investment to expand broadband in the county.

The funding was granted by the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration after Senator McConnell put in a word to the agency on behalf of the county.

Right now, Scott County residents not connected to broadband have two options. They can either go without internet or they can use a hotspot.

Sadieville Mayor Rob Wagoner entered an agreement with AT&T to offer internet hotspots to Sadieville residents. For $50 a month residents could get unlimited internet.

AT&T announced recently the agreement would end in April, creating once again another connection void.

Wagoner explained his concerns. He said, “That is the lifeline to American life today is internet. I mean you can’t do anything without it. People buy their groceries on the internet. They buy their clothes on the internet.”

The $3 million investment with Charter Communications will put all Scott County residents online, which is good news to the thousands who have been managing their life around not being connected like Stamping Ground resident Donnie Sparks.

Sparks said, “I would like to pay bills online and I’m not able to. It’s a lot of things I’d like to order and I’m not able to. I have to drive to Georgetown or Lexington to pick it up or have a friend order it if they have internet. “

Broadband in Scott County also opens the door for endless development possibilities. Wagoner said not having internet could be a deterrent in people or businesses relocating to Sadieville.

Wagoner continued, “I just had a house sell for 300k, an older home because people are wanting out of the bigger cities to raise their children in a small town and we didn’t have internet to offer them. That was one of the things they asked when they went to buy, do you have internet.”

The 406-mile expansion of broadband will cover all areas of Scott County even the most rural, changing lives one connection at a time.

Wagoner added, “It’s a relevant way of life now and Sadieville is no different than anyone else we have to have it.”

With this investment, all Scott County residents will be online by the end of 2025.