LEXINGTON, Ky. — High-speed internet is technically reachable at 99 percent of serviceable addresses in Fayette County. But when the city of Lexington asked residents whether they actually had reliable and affordable access at home, nearly four in 10 said no. That contradiction sits at the cent er of a sweeping draft plan the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government presented Tuesday to the Urban County Council’s Budget, Finance and Economic Development Committee — a document that lays out in granular detail why wiring a city and connecting a community are two very different challenges. The presentation, Item IV on the committee’s March 24 agenda and sponsored by Council Member James Brown, marks the latest major hearing on the Digital Accessibility referral Brown filed in August 2024. The draft plan — formally titled the Digital Accessibility Plan for Lexington, KY and dated Oct. 23, 2025 — was presented by Troy Black of the Mayor’s Office and reflects more than a year of work by the Lexington Digital Accessibility Workgroup. The plan is not yet final. But it is the most complete picture the city has assembled of who is offline, why they are offline, and what it would take to change that. The Gap: Availability Is Not Adoption According to data from the Kentucky Office of Broadband Development cited in the presentation, high-speed internet service is available at 99.13 percent of serviceable locations in Fayette County. The Federal Communications Commission defines broadband as service delivering at least 100 megabits per second for downloads and 20 Mbps for uploads — speeds typically provided by fiber, cable, fixed wireless and some satellite connections. The city’s own survey of 219 residents across all 12 council districts tells a different story. Conducted between April 2024 and September 2025 through the Get Connected Lex community survey initiative, the poll found that only 64 percent of respondents reported having reliable and affordable high-speed internet at home. Another 24 percent said they had service but described it as too expensive. Six percent said their connection was present but slow or unreliable. Seven percent said they had no service at all. The city acknowledges the survey is self-reported and directional rather than statistically representative. The numbers add up to a significant practical access gap. While the plan notes that 91 percent of households in the county subscribe to internet service in some form, affordability and reliability conditions leave a large share of residents functionally disconnected from the full benefits of high-speed access. The plan frames this plainly: availability is not the primary barrier. Cost is. By the Numbers: Get Connected Lex Survey 64% — Have reliable, affordable high-speed internet at home 24% — Have service, but say it’s too expensive 7% — No internet access at all 6% — Have service, but it’s slow or unreliable 96% — Cited cost of internet as a barrier 78% — Cited cost of devices as a barrier Source: Get Connected Lex Community Survey, April 2024–September 2025 (n=219; self-reported, directional) Cost Dominates Every Measure Among the barriers survey respondents identified, the cost of internet service ranked first by a wide margin — cited by 96 percent of respondents. The cost of internet-capable devices came in second at 78 percent. A lack of skills or training was cited by 42 percent. Accessibility limits — physical, cognitive or otherwise — were cited by 40 percent. Language barriers were cited by 38 percent. Lack of time and lack of interest came in around 20 and 10 percent, respectively. The plan draws a direct but largely unspoken line between those affordability numbers and a federal policy collapse that hammered low-income households nationwide. The federal Affordable Connectivity Program — a $14.2 billion initiative launched in December 2021 that provided eligible households up to $30 per month off their internet bills and up to a $100 one-time device discount — ran out of funding and ended June 1, 2024, after Congress declined to renew it. More than 23 million U.S. households had been enrolled. An estimated 5 million households cut internet service entirely in the year that followed, according to a Brattle Group report. A January 2025 survey by the National Lifeline Association found that nearly 40 percent of former ACP participants cut back on food to afford their internet bills. The Lexington plan does not directly reference the ACP’s collapse, but the timing is impossible to ignore: the Get Connected Lex survey ran from April 2024 through September 2025, precisely the period during which the subsidy disappeared. Kentucky had been among the states with the highest ACP participation rates. The state’s own Digital Equity Plan had relied on ACP as a key tool for closing affordability gaps. Eleven Providers, One Key Gap Fayette County is served by 11 internet service providers, according to the plan’s ISP profile. Three major fiber carriers cover the bulk of the county: T-Mobile/Metronet reaches 90.2 percent of locations, Spectrum covers 95.2 percent and Kinetic by Windstream provides fiber broadband and DSL to 95 percent of the county. T-Mobile Home Internet offers fixed wireless coverage at 94.1 percent. EarthLink, ATT and Verizon each serve roughly half the county with fixed wireless, while BridgeMaxx provides fixed wireless to 24.3 percent of locations. Satellite providers HughesNet, Starlink and Viasat offer 100 percent geographic coverage, though HughesNet does not offer plans meeting the federal broadband speed standard. The presentation highlights one critical gap in the competitive landscape. Of the three major fiber providers serving the county, T-Mobile/Metronet — which covers 90.2 percent of Fayette County locations — does not offer a low-cost plan priced at or below $30 per month. Spectrum, Kinetic by Windstream, T-Mobile Home Internet, ATT and Verizon all do. The absence of a low-cost tier from the county’s largest fiber carrier is a material policy gap the plan identifies but does not directly pressure. Who Gets Left Behind The plan identifies six populations facing compounding barriers beyond cost alone. Aging residents: Lexington’s population is 13.5 percent age 65 or older. Digital literacy — not cost — is identified as the leading barrier to broadband adoption among this group, the plan states, even when service is technically available. Kentucky’s statewide Digital Equity Plan found that 46 percent of surveyed aging individuals said affordability prevented subscription, while 23 percent lacked a home computer and another 23 percent said service was not available at their address. Many aging residents who do have access lack the confidence and skills to use it effectively. Justice-involved individuals: Incarcerated people face digital skill gaps created by the near-total absence of technology and digital education during incarceration. Upon release, they must navigate job applications, benefits portals, housing resources and government services in a digital environment for which they have received little or no preparation. Veterans: Many cannot take full advantage of online benefits due to limited digital skills, the plan states. Non-English speakers: Language barriers compound a digital skills gap that makes it harder to access existing resources even when they are physically available. Thirty-eight percent of survey respondents identified language barriers as a factor — a notably high share for a single-question survey item. Low-income individuals: High monthly service cost is the primary barrier, followed closely by lack of a computer with internet access. Nationally, Pew Research Center data shows broadband adoption at 92 percent for households earning $100,000 or more, but dropping to 57 percent for those earning under $30,000. Individuals with disabilities: A lack of reliable internet and accessible tools limits access to telehealth services and remote employment opportunities. Kentucky’s own data shows this group trails the statewide broadband adoption average by at least nine percentage points. What Residents Want to Learn The plan’s skills section draws from both quantitative survey data and open-ended community responses. Among the structured topics offered, protecting privacy and avoiding scams ranked first with 110 respondents — by far the most common response. Managing finances and bills online received 44 responses. Video calls and communications drew 39. Applying for jobs or benefits received 35 responses. Email and basic internet use came in last at 32. Open-ended responses reinforced and expanded those themes. Residents said they wanted help learning Microsoft Excel and other business productivity software. Many sought practical guidance on navigating websites, using QR codes and sharing files. A subset emphasized online safety, data privacy and protecting personal information. A smaller group expressed interest in more advanced topics — coding, web development, programming languages, AI tools and GIS mapping. The plan’s takeaway is notably targeted: “Many feel no further training is needed, indicating outreach and awareness should target those still facing skill gaps or barriers.” Fifty-eight percent of respondents expressed interest or openness to digital training. The data recommends precision deployment of resources, not broad-brush campaigns. The Workgroup’s Origin and Process The Digital Accessibility Workgroup was formed at the direction of Council Member Brown in coordination with Chief Development Officer Kevin Atkins’ office. It began meeting in October 2024 and held four meetings, drawing participants from LFUCG officials and staff, business and nonprofit partners in technology and economic development, educational institutions, area internet service providers and community members. Survey responses were directed to Troy Black at the Mayor’s Office, 200 E. Main St. The workgroup hosted the Get Connected Lex Digital Accessibility Expo on June 28, 2025, at the Lexington Senior Center on Life Lane. The expo aimed to raise awareness, foster dialogue and formally launch the citywide survey to a broader audience. In January 2026, the initiative produced its most concrete partnership to date: Connected Nation and ATT distributed 120 laptop devices and provided digital skills training to Lexington residents through the Black and Williams Neighborhood Center, the Georgetown Street Neighborhood Association and the Marafiki Center — a model the plan implicitly suggests scaling. The Strategic Framework: Three Goals The plan organizes its proposed strategies around three goals. 1. Reliable internet community-wide. Strategies include overseeing and publicly reporting on ongoing fiber construction, engaging additional fixed wireless and satellite providers to expand consumer choice and mapping free public Wi-Fi locations across the city. The plan notes that public Wi-Fi is currently uneven: the Lexington Public Library system provides reliable, uniform free Wi-Fi at all six branches, while parks and public spaces vary significantly — Gatton Park is cited as a standout — and commercial and campus hotspots offer informal, unsupported access. 2. Affordable devices and service plans. Strategies include promoting lower-cost ISP plans across city websites, social media and partner channels; connecting qualifying residents with financial assistance resources; and building pipelines for area businesses to donate decommissioned devices. 3. A digitally empowered population. Strategies include consolidating and publishing a catalog of digital skills training providers in Fayette County; working with providers to develop new programming to fill identified gaps; creating Digital Navigator models that pair residents with knowledgeable one-on-one support guides; and developing resource kits to help local businesses build more accessible online experiences. Key performance indicators proposed for tracking include broadband availability and adoption rates, device ownership levels, digital skills proficiency, workforce alignment with in-demand skills and user satisfaction with online services. Watch: The Funding Question The plan’s strategy matrix lists key contributors for all three goals — LFUCG, service providers, nonprofits, Lexington Public Library, Fayette County Public Schools and community anchor institutions — but every entry carries an asterisk: “*TBD.” No funding mechanism for any of the proposed strategies is identified in the draft presented Tuesday. What Seven Cities Teach Lexington The plan draws lessons from case studies of seven peer cities, each of which confronted variations of the same problem. Kansas City, Mo. used GIS mapping to identify the most underserved neighborhoods, partnered with libraries and nonprofits for tech support desks and device lending, and built public-private ISP partnerships. Its 2022 Digital Equity Strategic Plan established a formal roadmap focused on affordability, accessibility and training. Cleveland, Ohio — whose program the Lexington plan calls a national model for holistic urban digital inclusion — embedded Digital Navigators in community housing, libraries and job centers, ran large-scale ACP enrollment drives at schools and community events, and tied digital skill training directly to workforce development and job placement. Raleigh, N.C. deployed a Digital Ambassador Program that trains community leaders to teach digital skills to their neighbors, offers free Chromebook and hotspot lending through libraries and partnered with senior centers and churches to reach vulnerable populations. Oakland, Calif. built digital equity heat maps to identify underserved neighborhoods, launched the OakWiFi initiative providing free public Wi-Fi in priority areas and tied broadband planning to housing and economic development efforts. Atlanta, Ga. combined free community Wi-Fi zones with targeted device distribution in underserved neighborhoods and digital literacy programs tailored for youth, seniors and formerly incarcerated individuals. Minneapolis, Minn. provided free Wi-Fi hotspots, affordable broadband access and digital skills training through school and library partnerships, aligned with Minnesota’s statewide Digital Opportunity Plan. Louisville, Ky. is notable for its absence from the solutions column: the Lexington plan notes that Louisville has no city-specific digital equity plan, relying instead on Kentucky’s statewide frameworks. The implicit signal is that Lexington is positioning itself ahead of its largest in-state peer. The plan distills four forward-looking lessons from the case studies: formalize and fund coalitions to avoid siloed efforts; expand navigator programs citywide for one-on-one support; align infrastructure and adoption efforts, because technology access does not equal technology use; and plan for sustainability after grant funding ends. A Federal Vacuum, a State Pipeline Lexington is building this plan into a headwind. The expiration of the federal Affordable Connectivity Program in June 2024 eliminated the primary national tool for closing the affordability gap, and no federal replacement has been enacted. State-level responses have been patchwork: New York became the first state to mandate low-cost broadband plans from providers; California, Oregon and Connecticut have since pursued similar legislation. Kentucky has not. Kentucky is, however, running an active Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program funded through the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021. The state’s BEAD pre-application process ran through June and July 2025, targeting unserved and underserved areas statewide with a focus on last-mile connectivity at speeds of at least 100 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload. Projects are expected to conclude by 2030. The Lexington plan identifies the state broadband office as a key contributor to its connectivity goal — though BEAD is primarily a rural deployment tool and may not address urban affordability gaps directly. Nationally, a March 2026 analysis by the Pew Charitable Trusts found that affordability of service remains the leading barrier to closing the digital divide in urban areas, noting that high monthly costs prevent households from subscribing or staying connected even where service is available. What Comes Next The draft plan was presented Tuesday to the BFED committee, which first received the Digital Accessibility referral from Council Member Brown in August 2024. No action was taken. The plan remains in draft form, with no identified funding mechanism and no formal adoption timeline stated in Tuesday’s presentation. The committee’s next scheduled meeting is June 23, 2026. The full draft plan, along with the complete March 24 BFED packet, is available through the LFUCG Urban County Council committees page. Residents interested in providing input on the plan can access the survey online at engage.lexingtonky.gov/getconnectedlex or return paper copies to any Lexington Public Library branch or by mail to Troy Black, Mayor’s Office, 200 E. Main St., Lexington, KY 40507. This article is based on the March 24, 2026, Budget, Finance and Economic Development Committee packet, including the draft Digital Accessibility Plan for Lexington, KY (Oct. 23, 2025 version), and supplemented with reporting from federal agency records, the Kentucky Office of Broadband Development, the Pew Charitable Trusts and national broadband research organizations. 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