Charter Reaches Important Milestone as Berry, Kentucky Becomes Company's 10,000th Community

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Charter reached a significant milestone as it announced a franchise agreement to bring broadband service to Berry, Kentucky, marking the company’s 10,000^th local community served across its 41-state national footprint.  Governor Andy Beshear joined Charter representatives, Berry Mayor Keith Ison and Harrison County Judge/Executive Jason Marshall as well as other dignitaries, community leaders, and residents to mark the occasion.

Berry, a rural community with a population of 350 residents, has never had access to high-speed broadband service. Once the network construction is complete and service is activated, the community’s residents and small businesses will have access to this critical infrastructure for the first time. This Berry project exemplifies Charter’s unwavering commitment to providing evolutionary connectivity services, including gigabit broadband, to communities large and small.

“Every community in Kentucky deserves affordable and reliable high-speed internet access,” Gov. Andy Beshear said. “That’s why my administration has secured more than $2 billion in state, federal and private funding to connect every home and business in the commonwealth. Congratulations to one of our experienced partners, Spectrum, which is now serving its 10,000^th community right here in Harrison County.”

The announcement is part of a larger deployment across Harrison County connecting more than 3,700 homes and small businesses, including all homes in Berry. The cost of the project is $37 million where Charter will contribute approximately $14 million with the rest coming from the Commonwealth’s Better Internet Program and contributions received by the county through its federal American Rescue Plan Act funds.  Charter expects to begin its network walkout and design process this summer. Once Charter secures the necessary permitting and utility pole attachment agreements, network construction can begin with completion by the end of 2025.

“Marking the 10,000^th is important to a business like ours that has such deep roots in the communities we serve,” said Adam Falk, Senior Vice President of State Government Affairs at Charter.  “The local partnerships have always made us unique, allowing us to better understand the community and the needs of our customers and employees who live within them,” he added. “As we work to bridge the digital divide, no town is too small. When we complete this project, Berry customers will have access to the same state-of-the art services offered in the biggest cities we serve, from New York to Dallas to Los Angeles. The Commonwealth, under Gov. Beshear’s leadership, has established the kind of business environment that encourages this investment and partnership.”

Once complete, Spectrum’s fiber-optic network will deliver gigabit internet speeds to residential and small business customers, and all Spectrum Internet plans have no modem fees, data caps or contracts. Spectrum will also offer money-saving mobile offerings and a wide variety of TV options, all backed by a team of local technicians and 100% in-house and U.S. based customer service.

“We are honored to be Charter’s 10,000^th community, and we look forward to getting broadband service to the residents of Berry which will be a first for our community,“ Berry Mayor Keith Ison said. “And the generous contribution by Spectrum and its partners will go a long way to revitalize our town park."

Through its rural expansion initiative, Charter has already begun, and expects to continue over the next several years, to connect more than 1.75 million unserved and underserved homes and small businesses across the country, reaching thousands of new communities.

A $70,000 Investment to Support New Playground, Technology Center and Funding for Music Education for Berry Residents Also Announced

As part of the celebration, Spectrum and two key programming partners, Ovation TV and AXS TV announced an additional $70,000 investments in the community:

• Together with Ovation TV, Spectrum pledged $50,000 to support the renovation of the City of Berry Park.
• As part of its ongoing partnership with Spectrum and the AXS TV Band Together for Music Education initiative, AXS TV awarded a $10,000 grant to Harrison County High School to support their music education programs, including the Harrison County Marching Band, which performed at the event.
• Spectrum will award a $10,000 Spectrum Digital Education grant to support the creation of digital learning center at Berry’s Data Center when the buildout is complete.

About Spectrum

Spectrum is a suite of advanced communications services offered by Charter Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ:CHTR), a leading broadband connectivity company and cable operator serving more than 32 million customers in 41 states. Over an advanced communications network, the company offers a full range of state-of-the-art residential and business services including Spectrum Internet^®, TV, Mobile and Voice.

For small and medium-sized companies, Spectrum Business^® delivers the same suite of broadband products and services coupled with special features and applications to enhance productivity, while for larger businesses and government entities, Spectrum Enterprise^® provides highly customized, fiber-based solutions. Spectrum Reach^® delivers tailored advertising and production for the modern media landscape. The company also distributes award-winning news coverage and sports programming to its customers through Spectrum Networks. More information about Charter can be found at corporate.charter.com.

Media Contact

Mike Pedelty

Michael.Pedelty@charter.com