Alum's successful Internet access efforts featured in The Economist

RELEASED: October 4, 2007

DANVILLE, KY—Brian Mefford '95 has been featured in The Economist for his leadership of ConnectKentucky, an organization that has succeeded in bringing Internet access to rural areas throughout the state. The Economist, established in 1843, is an award-winning publication with a worldwide circulation of more than 1.2 million readers.

By the end of this year, says Mefford, president and CEO of ConnectKentucky, 98 percent of Kentucky residents who did not before will have access to inexpensive broadband services. This is primarily because of ConnectKentucky's effort to map broadband demand in communities that lacked access and the group's effort to create greater demand for broadband.

Capitalizing on its success in Kentucky, ConnectKentucky is morphing into a company called Connected Nation and is helping to wire the neighboring states of Tennessee and West Virginia for affordable broadband.

"Not only will Kentucky provide world-class technology for its citizens and businesses, but individuals and companies around the globe will come to recognize Kentucky as a center for economic and job growth," said Mefford on the ConnectKentucky Web site.

To read Mefford's article in The Economist, click here.

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Founded in 1819, Centre College is ranked among the U.S. News top 50 national liberal arts colleges. Consumers Digest ranks Centre No. 1 in educational value among all U.S. liberal arts colleges. Centre alumni, known for their nation-leading loyalty in annual financial support, include two U.S. vice presidents and two Supreme Court justices. For more, visit http://www.centre.edu/web/elevatorspeech/

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