NEWS
For Immediate Release
December 5, 2024

Karen Jackson-Furman named WK&T CEO

WK&T Telecommunications Cooperative Inc. announced today that Trevor Bonnstetter will be stepping down as CEO at the end of this year, with Karen Jackson-Furman set to assume the CEO role on January 1, 2025.

During his tenure at WK&T, Bonnstetter played a pivotal role in driving the company’s growth, particularly in expanding broadband and fiber services to unserved and underserved rural communities.

“It has been an honor to serve the members of WK&T throughout my career, “Bonnstetter said. “I am confident that Karen’s leadership, backed by her extensive industry experience and deep understanding of our company, will guide WK&T to even greater success.”

Jackson-Furman brings 31 years of experience in telecommunication cooperatives to her new role as CEO, including nine years at WK&T. She joined as the Chief Information Officer in 2016, later transitioning to the Chief Financial Officer. In 2018, she was named Chief Operating Officer where she oversaw numerous strategic operational initiatives.

“I am incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to dedicate my career to the rural telecommunications industry,” Jackson-Furman said. “Serving our members every day to deliver exceptional broadband connectivity to improve quality of life, bring opportunity, and keep loved ones connected is very rewarding. This industry is filled with incredible people, both within the states we serve and across the nation. I’m especially thankful to be a part of the outstanding team at WK&T.”

As CEO, Jackson-Furman plans to build on WK&T’s strong foundation of growth and innovation, while keeping customer service as the focal point. Her immediate priorities include seeking additional strategic partnerships and pursuing additional state and federal grant opportunities to expand broadband access to unserved and underserved communities in Kentucky, Tennessee and southern Illinois.

“Our top priority is delivering an exceptional customer experience,” she added. “At WK&T, we are committed to helpingour members Live Life Connected.”

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WK&T is a communications cooperative serving West Kentucky, Northwest Tennessee and Southern Illinois with more than 24,000 network connections. The company is an equal opportunity employer and provider dedicated to using technology to keep its members connected through high-speed internet, state-of-the-art securityu, local and long distance voice service and digital televsion.

Fiber Construction Progressing

Installation dates near for Graves, Weakley and Benton counties.

Do you live in Graves, Weakley or Benton counties? If so, you’re closer to having access to fiber-fast internet! Here is a list of our current fiber construction updates:

Graves County-Cardinal Road project — If you live south of the Mayfield city limits and east of 303 Cuba Road to Highway 97, you’ll soon have access to fiber internet.

Graves County-Highway 97 project — If you’re ready to get connected, and your home or business is south of the Mayfield city limits and east of 303 Cuba Road to Highway 97, call now to sign up.

Graves County-Elderberry project — Construction is underway on this project. The affected area includes Highway 2205, Old Highway 121, Highway 464, Highway 940, Waldrop Drive, Lakeview Drive, Trailridge Road, Autumn Ridge Drive, Jeff David Road, Davis Street, Hayes School Road and some smaller surrounding roads.

Graves County-Arrowhead project — Construction is ongoing, but addresses north and south of State Route 58 East, from Hopewell Road to State Route 301, will soon be ready for fiber-fast internet installations.

Graves County-Symsonia project — Parts of this project are complete, and we anticipate the remainder of this build will be finished by the end of the month. The project affects the northern portion of Graves County that WK&T doesn’t currently serve.

Weakley County-Palmersville project — Construction is underway in this area. The project includes mostly the roads along Palmersville Highway.

Benton County-Faxon project — Construction is underway on this project that spans Danville Road going east from Big Sandy to Sandys Camp Road.

Questions? Give us a call at 866-777-1090!

We’re honored to be building fiber-fast internet network for YOU!

WK&T Completes More Fiber Projects

WK&T completes more fiber projects.

Check to see if your neighborhood is ready for installations.

 WK&T is excited to announce completion of several fiber construction projects. Installations at area homes and businesses can now begin. Our goal is to provide you with the reliable, fiber-fast internet you need to live, work and play fully connected.

Graves County-Coplen project — This project is complete and ready for installations. It consists of areas south of the Mayfield city limits and mostly west of 303 Cuba Road.

Graves County-Highway 97 project — Crews have begun construction on this project, and we anticipate it will be several months before addresses are ready for installations. This build is south of the Mayfield city limits and east of 303 Cuba Road to Highway 97.

Graves County-Symsonia project — Construction for this project is almost complete. We estimate homes and businesses will be ready for installations sometime this summer. The project comprises the northern portion of Graves County that WK&T doesn’t currently serve.

Graves County-Elderberry project — Construction for this project is complete, and splicing will begin soon. We estimate there are a few months left before we will have addresses ready for installations. The project includes Highway 2205, Old Highway 121, Highway 464, Highway 940, Waldrop Drive, Lakeview Drive, Trailridge Road, Autumn Ridge Drive, Jeff David Road, Davis Street, Hayes School Road and some smaller surrounding roads.

Weakley County-South Martin/Sidonia project — This project is 100% complete and addresses are ready for installations. Areas include west of Sharon all the way to the Weakley County line.

Weakley County-South Martin/Adams project — This project is complete and ready for installations. This build includes areas southeast of Martin and southeast of 45E, as well as some areas along Highway 22 and north of Highway 22.

Weakley County-South Martin/Sub Station project — Construction is almost complete for this project, and a few addresses are ready for installations. We expect the remaining addresses will be available for installations later this spring. This project consists of areas southwest of Dresden going toward Sharon, along Highway 54, Will Young Road and portions of Liberty Road.

Weakley County-Palmersville/Jewell Store project — Construction for this project is nearing completion with some delays due to weather and the December tornado. We estimate that addresses will be ready for installations in in late spring or early summer.

If your neighborhood is ready for installations, please give us a call at 877-954-8748. We would love to discuss getting you connected to our fiber-fast internet!

Projects in Graves, Weakley counties ready for hookup.

August 2021

Some parts of Graves, Weakley and Henry counties are ready for installation.

Oct. 8, 2020

Graves County project — Construction is underway for the first Tech Park remote, which will cover most of Highway 1241 and W. Vaughn, Hickory and Key Bottom roads. Service addresses ready for installation may be released in the coming weeks.

WK&T is also in the construction phase of installing a second remote in the northwestern part of Graves County, which will include some addresses in Old Dublin, Highway 80, Oak Grove Church Road, Sholar Road, Sutton Lane North, Butterworth Road, Jimtown Road, Key Bottom Road, Highway 45, Sanderson Road and Highway 121.

There will be six remotes in the Graves County project.

Dukedom-Austin Springs project — The south portion of State Line Road and surrounding areas of downtown Dukedom are ready for installations. Call

877-954-8748 today to schedule an appointment!

Dukedom-Grissom project — Areas for this project include portions of the south side of State Line Road and parts of the Ruthville, Tennessee, area. Fiber construction is complete. Some addresses may be ready for installations after the final inspections are completed.

Henry County-Shady Grove project — This area is between Old Murray Paris and Shady Grove Roads and south of the Puryear exchange to Edgar Cemetery Road. This project is 100% complete and ready for installations. Call 877-954-8748 today to schedule an appointment!

Henry County-Elkhorn Cemetery project — This project includes over 130 locations near the south side of Highway 79 along Oak Grove Road South, starting at Friendship Road and surrounding the Elkhorn area. Construction is complete and ready for installations. Call 877-954-8748 today to schedule an appointment!

Henry County-Poplar Grove project — This project includes more than 900 locations, including the majority of the north side of Highway 69 South and the lakes area. Crews are in the area working, pulling cable and setting facilities. Some addresses will be released for installation early this month. The remote work should be completed by the end of November.

Henry County-Grant Area — This project includes 28.3 miles of coverage and approximately 185 homes. The project is slated to be completed by Dec. 15. Some of the roads that may be covered in this build area are Manleyville, Bob Richardson, Van Dyke, Highway 77, Spring Hill, Old McKenzie Highway, Hinchey Cemetery, Steele, Cope Looney, Palestine, Herrondale East, Henry Midway and Midway. Call 877-954-8748 to inquire about service at your location now!

July 27, 2020

As summer heats up, so does fiber internet construction. WK&T crews continue to work on the fiber builds, and many areas are ready for installations.

Dukedom-Austin Springs project — The south portion of State Line Road and surrounding areas of downtown Dukedom are ready for installations.

Dukedom-Grissom project — Areas include portions of the south side of State Line Road and portions of the Ruthville, Tennessee, area. Fiber construction is underway. Selected addresses will be released for installation in the coming weeks.

Henry County-Shady Grove project — This area is between Old Murray Paris and Shady Grove roads and south of the Puryear exchange to Edgar Cemetery Road. This project is ready for installations.

Henry County-Elkhorn Cemetery project — This project includes over 130 locations near the south side of Highway 79 along Oak Grove Road South, starting at Friendship Road and surrounding the Elkhorn area. This project is ready for installations.

Henry County-Poplar Grove project — This project includes more than 900 locations, including the majority of the north side of Highway 69 South and the lakes area. Crews have started pulling cable in the northwest portion of the project.

The WK&T and Graves County project has started construction at the Tech Park. The first remote will serve residents and businesses on Highway 1241, West Vaughn Road, Carter Road, Hickory Road and Key Bottom Road in Mayfield.

June 12, 2020

WK&T and Graves County have reached an agreement that will increase access to fiber optic internet for many residents in the county.

WK&T will begin construction right away on a fiber network that will pass about 4,000 locations in Graves County. The agreement also sets up 10 public Wi-Fi hot spots at community anchor institutions.

Dukedom-Austin Springs project — The south portion of State Line Road and surrounding areas of downtown Dukedom are ready for installations.

Dukedom-Grissom project — Areas include portions of the south side of State Line Road and portions of the Ruthville, Tennessee, area. Fiber construction is about 50% complete. Some addresses will be ready for installations later this month.

Henry County-Shady Grove project — This area is between Old Murray Paris and Shady Grove roads and south of the Puryear exchange to Edgar Cemetery Road. This project is 100% complete and ready for installations.

Henry County-Elkhorn Cemetery project — This project includes over 130 locations near the south side of Highway 79 along Oak Grove Road South, starting at Friendship Road and surrounding the Elkhorn area. This project is estimated to be ready for installations in June.

Henry County-Poplar Grove project — This project includes more than 900 locations, including the majority of the north side of Highway 69 South and the lakes area. This project is in its early stages. Installations are estimated to begin late summer 2020.

March 13, 2020

WK&T crews have been busy the last few weeks in various locations building fiber throughout Henry and Weakley counties.

Dukedom-Austin Springs — Crews have made great progress and are hoping that by the end of March/early April, WK&T will be able to begin installations at more homes in this area.

Henry County-Shady Grove — This project is completely finished and ready for installations.

Henry County-Elkhorn Cemetery — Crews are making great progress, and the majority of construction is complete. There are still a few small tasks that need to be completed, but WK&T hopes to have the majority of the area ready near the end of March. This project has roughly 225 locations inside the grant area.

Henry County-Poplar Grove — WK&T crews have recently started this project. This is the largest project of the three remotes in Henry County. Crews will begin the process of boring the ground to run the fiber cable, and we expect the area will be ready for installation in late spring.

The fiber build-outs for Henry County in Tennessee and for Dukedom in Weakley County, Tennessee, are expected to be finished by the end of the year. Residents and businesses in these areas will have access to the most advanced internet technology available. This will provide lightning-fast speeds and more reliable service than traditional copper wiring.

Construction in Henry County is complete north of Woodland Acres near Highway 218 north of U.S. 79. WK&T will soon begin installing fiber to about 120 addresses in that area. Construction is nearly complete south of U.S. 79. Installation to about 160 addresses should begin around March or April.

Construction will soon begin north of Highway 63A near Big Sandy and Springville and should be completed by the end of the year.

In Dukedom, fiber construction is currently underway east of Chestnut Glade Road. Installation has already begun in an area near Austin Springs for about 80 homes. Fiber connection to the remaining homes and businesses in the Dukedom project should begin in April or May and will service about 200 addresses.

Construction west of Chestnut Glade Road to service another 200 homes and businesses should begin in spring and is expected to be complete by the end of the year.

Since the project began, crews have built 24 of 90 miles of fiber in Henry County and 24 of 77 miles of fiber in Dukedom. Recent rains have slowed progress and could continue to impact construction, but both projects remain on track to be complete by the end of the year.

As 2019 nears an end, WK&T is busy on the ground in Weakley and Henry counties. 

Dukedom construction began in August and has gone full steam ahead.

Likewise in Henry County, a small northern section of about 80 homes will be complete at the end of November. Construction has started on the northern end of the larger portion of the project. 

In mid-August, Dresden’s buildout will be 100% complete, giving 1,650 customers access to fiber broadband. This service will provide residences and businesses with faster, more reliable internet access than traditional copper wiring.

In Dukedom, crews were set to begin fiber construction on Aug. 1. The build will connect 406 residents who have had limited internet access in their homes.

WK&T’s most recent venture is in southeastern Henry County. A contractor has been selected and will begin work in mid-September in the northern part of this build. Engineering and staking is still underway in the southern part. One area lies east of Highway 79 and west of Kentucky Lake, while the second area is west of Highway 79 and northeast of Paris. When completed, 912 homes will have access to unmatched fiber broadband from WK&T.

The fiber build in Martin is complete. What does this mean for you? If you are a resident of or operate a business in Martin, you have access to WK&T’s unmatched fiber optic network.

The fiber network provides homes and businesses with the capacity to connect multiple devices — laptops, smartphones, tablets and gaming systems — and use them simultaneously. And uploading and downloading large files, as well as videoconferencing, is super fast.

In 2018, WK&T partnered with officials in Dresden to bring an unmatched fiber network to the city. More than 1,700 residents and businesses in the city should have access to the high-speed connection this summer. The agreement also allows installation of smart water meters so the municipal water department can gather accurate readings, with data transmitted directly from the meters to the office.

The project’s first phase is finished, and the final phase is nearing completion. The connection to Dresden is made possible by the existing fiber network in Martin. The service with WK&T will provide Dresden residents and businesses with internet access that is faster and more reliable than service over traditional copper wiring

WK&T’s fiber network will also bring new voice, security and television offerings to Dresden.

Recently, WK&T was chosen from 124 applicants to receive a $3 million grant to build a broadband network in the Dukedom community in Weakley County, Tennessee. The 406 residents WK&T is connecting in the community had limited home internet access.

And in Henry County, Tennessee, WK&T received $2 million from the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development’s Broadband Accessibility Grant program.

The cooperative will match these funds, investing more than $4 million to build a fiber optic broadband network in Henry County. The project calls for building a fast broadband network in two sections of the county. One area lies east of Highway 79 and west of Kentucky Lake, and the second area is west of Highway 79 and northeast of Paris.

When completed, the network will make high-speed broadband internet access available to 912 homes.