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Ritter Communications seeks interim franchise clearance; company to begin fiber construction in August
Summary
At a July 28 first reading, McCracken County reviewed an interim agreement with Ritter Communications to allow construction while the county completes a franchise process; Ritter representatives described an aerial-first fiber build beginning Aug. 4 and services targeted for early October in served areas.
McCracken County Fiscal Court held the first reading of Ordinance No. 2025-11 on July 28, an ordinance that the court summary says authorizes an interim agreement with Ritter Communications Holdings LLC (Right Fiber) to begin construction while the county proceeds with the franchise process required under county cable ordinance 2021-14.
Why it matters: the agreement would allow a new commercial fiber provider to begin construction sooner than might be possible under a full franchise schedule, increasing competition for broadband service in parts of McCracken County and potentially expanding high-speed Internet access to previously underserved addresses.
A Ritter Communications representative told the court the company's Right Fiber brand plans to begin construction on Aug. 4 and aims to provide residential service in parts of McCracken County by early October, contingent on the interim agreement and the city's franchise process. The company said the 2025-2026 build will pass roughly 12,000 homes with a total build goal near 17,000 homes in subsequent phases.
Technical and business details provided by the company: the build will be primarily aerial (about 80% on poles) using Paducah Power and Jackson Purchase poles where applicable; some underground work will be used in areas where poles are not available. Ritter said the project is fully self-funded by the company and private partners (no federal grant funding for the 2025/2026 build was reported), and that construction will use two general contractors and local subcontractors as needed. The company also said it expects to establish a local business office and installer presence after initial construction so it can meet service and outage response commitments.
Court members asked about timeline, coverage phases and how the provider would reach remote addresses; company representatives said extremely remote segments may require special financing arrangements with residents or other cost-sharing approaches, and that the company uses an online address tool to capture interest and plan future phases.
Ordinance 2025-11 received a first reading; no final franchise vote occurred. The court noted a second reading is scheduled for two weeks, per the county's ordinance process. The representative left business cards and contact information for follow-up and answered questions from commissioners about pole use, contractor sourcing and customer outreach.
Taper: the first reading advances the interim-agreement process so construction can begin; the court will consider the ordinance on a second reading at the next session before a final authorization is possible.
