Governor Beshear and other officials announced the initiative today through the coal to broadband program for Breathitt, Lee, Powell, and Estill counties.

Thousands of people in the four counties do not have high speed internet available at home or work.

Officials say today's announcement is the beginning to bringing broadband to everyone in Kentucky.

High speed internet is coming to everyone in Breathitt, Powell, Estill and lee counties.

“I know we've worked hard,” Lee County Judge Executive Steve Mays says. “The other county judges have worked hard for a couple of years with Kentucky connect trying to get this to our people outside the city limits.”

“You're talking about folks being able to get information about health and other things,” Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear says. “It's just a whole new world when you get that broadband access.”

Governor Beshear says the coal to broadband access program will go a long way in these four counties to help bring more businesses to the area.

“Business wants access and they're not going to locate to a place that doesn't have it,” Governor Beshear says. “So getting this really is a great basic step to attracting a lot more jobs to this area.”

Rene True, the Executive Director for Connect Kentucky, the group helping to get broadband access to rural areas, says not having internet access in those four counties hurts their options

“That’s limiting their opportunities for distance learning, kids being able to research at home for educational opportunities and job career opportunities,” True says.

Beshear says this program is just the beginning to get broadband access all across Eastern Kentucky.

“We’re going to work with other counties also in Eastern and Southeastern Kentucky to try to make sure every citizen in Kentucky has access to broadband,” Beshear says.

And officials say getting people access to high speed internet will help not only these four counties, but others in the mountains, as they look toward the future.

Officials with Connect Kentucky say the project will take approximately one year to complete.

The total cost of getting broadband access to those four counties will cost around six hundred thousand dollars.