Lexington Mayor Jim Gray is leading a push to bring a fiber-optic network to the city that would vastly increase Internet speeds for businesses and residents.
As part of the effort, the city has sent out a request for private sector companies seeking help in building a network, either as a commercial enterprise or as part of a public-private partnership.
“Lexington must be connected to the rest of the world with Internet speeds that drive more business activity and economic development,” Gray said in a statement.
The city cited Internet metrics that rank Lexington’s Internet speeds among the slowest in the nation. The city also has hired a project manager and national consultant to aid the planning. Gray said Lexington’s educated population and growing technology sector make boosting Internet speeds a top priority.
“Our population is relatively dense and geographically contained," Gray said. "But more than that, Lexington is a University City, with a highly educated workforce that can leverage greater bandwidth speeds to create new technologies, new ideas and new markets.”