Kanokla Celebrates Groundbreaking and First Customer Connection
Kanokla, a leading community-based telecommunications cooperative, is thrilled to announce major milestones of two of it’s fiber expansion projects in partnership with the Kansas Office of Broadband Development. With combined grant awards of over $2.65 million, Kanokla is bringing high-speed fiber connectivity to rural areas in South Central Kansas, including homes, farms, and businesses in areas south of Wellington and west of Bluff City and Freeport. These projects represent a substantial investment in the region’s future, reinforcing Kanokla’s commitment to advancing broadband access in underserved rural communities.
Kanokla celebrated these milestones with two community events Friday, November 1st: a groundbreaking ceremony for the $2.6 million project south of Wellington at the KLEY Radio Station, and a special ribbon cutting ceremony at the home of Gerald and Pat Wolff, the first customers connected to Kanokla’s new fiber network as part of the expansion west of Bluff City and Freeport. The projects, supported through the Kansas Office of Broadband Development’s Broadband Acceleration Grant (BAG) and Lasting Infrastructure and Network Connectivity (LINC) Program, will bring reliable, high-speed internet to approximately 218 homes, farms, and businesses in these areas.
Through the Broadband Acceleration Grant Program, Kanokla was awarded $950,000 to extend fiber service to 148 locations south of Wellington, with Kanokla investing $1.7 million of its own funds into the project. During the recent groundbreaking event, Kanokla team members and community members gathered to celebrate this significant advancement in local connectivity, one that promises to enhance education, telehealth, business opportunities, and everyday connectivity for area residents.
In addition, Kanokla’s fiber expansion project west of Bluff City and Freeport was made possible through the Kansas Office of Broadband Development’s LINC Program. Kanokla was awarded $1.7 million to expand fiber to around 70 homes, farms, and businesses in the region. The location of the ribbon cutting was especially meaningful as the Wolff family had previously been connected through Kanokla’s fixed-wireless network until they experienced a devastating home fire last year. Now, in their new home, Gerald and Pat Wolff have been connected as Kanokla’s first fiber customers in this expanded network.
Jill Kuehny, CEO of Kanokla, commented on the impact of these projects: “These expansions are about much more than faster internet—they represent Kanokla’s commitment to building a more connected and resilient rural Kansas. We’re deeply grateful to the Kansas Office of Broadband Development for their belief in our vision and are excited to see the ways these projects will enhance lives and businesses in our communities.
Joining the Kanokla team to celebrate at the events were Joseph Le, Interim Director, and Morgan Barnes, Engagement and Outreach Manager, both from the Kansas Office of Broadband Development, Rick Shelley from RVW Engineering, Matt Yearout from KLEY, Dustin Stansbury, owner, DLS Underground, Kansas Representative Bill Rhiley, and Kari O’Riley, Harper County Economic Development Director.”
These projects underscore Kanokla’s dedication to advancing broadband infrastructure in rural Kansas, bringing life-changing connectivity to underserved areas. As one of only twelve companies awarded funding in each program’s latest round, Kanokla’s investment and persistence in bringing fiber to these areas demonstrate its commitment to enhancing connectivity and quality of life for its members.
For more information about Kanokla’s projects and community impact, please contact Leah Sparks-Eakes, Communications Manager, at Kanokla or visit www.kanokla.com.
About Kanokla: Founded in 1951, Kanokla is a member-owned telecommunications cooperative dedicated to serving South Central Kansas and North Central Oklahoma with reliable, high-speed fiber broadband. As a community-based provider, Kanokla invests in the communities it serves, working to bridge the digital divide and foster growth and opportunity in rural areas.
