MEDIA

“If we want Ohioans to be able to compete with other states, with other countries and participate in the 21st century economy, there’s no question that we need to have access to broadband.” – BAO Chairman Geoff Andrews

This month we’re highlighting our member, the City of Westerville!

Internet access for all Columbus Dispatch, August 30, 2023 President Biden recently announced Ohio will receive $793 million from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Broadband, Equity, Access and Deployment Program (BEAD). This money will be directed toward funding the...

This month we are highlighting the City of Hilliard, one of Broadband Access Ohio's founding members! Why is it important for the City of Hillard to be part of, and lead, an organization like Broadband Access Ohio?  Local government involvement in broadband policy is...

This article ran in the Ohio Municipal League's Magazine, Cities and Villages : Broadband Access Ohio:  Connecting Ohioans One Municipality at a Time Communities deserve the flexibility to offer internet access programs that meet the needs of their citizens and...

More than half of eligible Columbus households not using discounted internet access Columbus Dispatch, June 12 Eric Brown - Guest Columnist In an increasingly connected world, access to reliable internet and digital resources has become essential. Unfortunately, a...

Chairman Bill Roth’s LTE in the Youngstown Vindicator

This month we are featuring our member The Management Council. Read on to learn about their important work! If you could give an elevator pitch/explanation about what the Management Council does, what would you say? The Management Council supports Ohio’s eighteen...

Broadband access is critical for Ohio’s farmers To the editor: Agriculture is an essential sector of Ohio’s economy. According to the Ohio Department of Agriculture, the agribusiness industry within Ohio contributes over $100 billion to the state’s economy each year....

Ohio TT: Building new towers to close the internet gap COSHOCTON − Ohio Transparent Telecom (Ohio TT) of Zanesville has laid out a schedule for 2023 for its wireless broadband project with Coshocton County Commissioners that should have all towers built and equipment...

Beginning March 16, BroadbandOhio will conduct in-person listening sessions and live webinars to support updates to the state’s broadband strategy and the development of a comprehensive plan to close the digital divide. More information...

Summit Connects will create a fast, reliable internet service for the 31 local municipalities and eventually provide access to everyone throughout Summit County. The proposed 125-mile fiber-optic ring has the initial goal of assisting local governments and emergency services throughout the county.

Member Spotlight: City of Fairlawn After 27 years, Fairlawn Mayor and Broadband Access Ohio chairman, Bill Roth, retired as the Mayor of Fairlawn. He passed the reins to Mayor Russell Sharnsky, who has been on City Council for over two decades. The BAO team recently...

Broadband Access Ohio is calling on Ohioans to look at the map and tell the FCC if they live in an area with connectivity issues.

With many new features and focuses, the FCC hopes that the updated National Broadband Map will provide them with more accurate information to make the proper decisions on where to allocate the federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment funds. 

Broadband access has been an issue for decades and this month we spoke with a community that has been working on finding solutions for that same amount of time. New Albany, Ohio is not only looking at what has worked for their community in the past but anticipating the future needs of generations.

Champaign County, Ohio, libraries are providing a technology trainer at the branches there, and workers in the county are also pointing to a local need for better Internet access and digital literacy.

Senator Sherrod Brown announced the Appalachian Regional Commission’s (ARC) Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization (POWER) Initiative has awarded grants to six organizations in Eastern Ohio. These investments will improve broadband services, expand workforce development initiatives, and facilitate economic growth throughout the region.

A combination of federal subsidies for customers and state subsidies for internet service providers will make broadband internet available and practical for tens of thousands more Ohio households, including thousands in the Miami Valley.

Broadband Access Ohio board member and CEO of Management Council, Geoffrey Andrews spoke with NBC4 about the importance of connectivity for Ohio’s economy.

We sat down with member Ryan Collins of Buckeye Hills Regional Council. He discussed the challenges of connecting Appalachia and the importance of accountability.

A conversation with Donna Davis Norris, Executive Director of the Southwest Ohio Computer Association & Broadband Access Ohio board member.

Next month, the City of Cleveland expects to unveil a plan aimed at making America’s least-connected large city competitive in the digital age for decades to come.

Ohio TT is continuing the wireless broadband project with Coshocton County Commissioners as more towers are poised to go live by the end of June. 

An Ohio State report says there is a strong economic benefit for Ohio to invest in expanding and enhancing broadband coverage to unserved areas, as well as making the service more affordable and ensuring that users have access to adequate devices to use the internet for their needs.

From Pat Tiberi, “The reality is, the benefits of adequate internet access are intertwined with virtually every aspect of our society, from education and workforce development to telemedicine and work mobility.”

Broadband Access Ohio Member Summit Co is planning to spend $75 million on a fiber internet project that will include building a 125-mile fiber optic ring to connect public safety entities in all 31 county communities.

Coshocton broadband project launches with Millcreek tower COSHOCTON — It's no secret that rural Ohio lags behind urban locations in major areas like economic development, educational advancement and health care integration. The answer to close that gap is obvious to...

Charter Communications, Inc. is now offering Spectrum Internet 100 across virtually all of its entire 41-state service area. The new high-speed, low-cost broadband service provides 100 Mbps download speeds for just $29.99 per month, and includes a modem, in-home WiFi and self-installation at no additional charge.

Duane Powell from the City of Hilliard joined All Sides with Ann Fisher to discuss the importance of high quality, high speed internet and the work Broadband Access Ohio is doing to connect our state.

The Mid Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) is having their state of the region on March 16th. 

The City of Athens is excited to be a member of the newly launched Broadband Access Ohio coalition. As Southeast Ohio grows, our broadband services need to grow with it and this organization focuses on connecting all Ohioans to high-speed, affordable internet access.

A new coalition, Broadband Access Ohio, also officially launched Wednesday with the goal of helping expand high-speed Internet in unserved and underserved areas of the state. Its members include municipalities, townships, associations, educational institutions and other public entities.

Several municipalities and policy experts are teaming up to provide advocacy and support for programs designed to increase broadband connectivity for communities, school networks, nonprofits and other entities across Ohio.

For years now, local leaders have been stepping into the breach to provide connectivity to residents and businesses. Their new group, dubbed Broadband Access Ohio, wants to ensure they have a free hand to continue doing so.

Several Ohio municipalities are forming a coalition to promote and be a resource for broadband expansion programs.

“If we can help a community develop a broadband infrastructure that improves the quality of service available to children in their homes, then we lift the whole community,” said Thor Sage, executive director of the Miami Valley Educational Computer Association.

LTE from Broadband Access Ohio member, the City of Athens.

The press release from February 16th’s Broadband Access Ohio launch.

The $3 million — a grant from federal CARES Act dollars — will go to Ohio State and a nonprofit telecommunications partner that the university will select in the next month.

Broadband Ohio is a division of the Ohio Department of Development and it’s aiming to strengthen broadband across the state but is focusing in on a few portions of Jefferson County.

Six of the 10 fastest internet service providers in the United States are either directly run by a local community or involve some form of partnership between the public and private sectors, according to a new study from PC Magazine. The study, published last week,...

Small-business owners see access to high-speed internet is crucial to economic development in rural South Dakota, according to a small pilot study conducted by researchers in South Dakota State University’s Ness School of Management and Economics. A survey in five...

Greene County commissioners have selected Cincinnati Bell to provide broadband expansion to rural parts of Greene County, with the company planning to lay 5 million feet of fiber optic cables in the next several years. Cincinnati Bell’s Dave Kramer said the company...

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio’s rural educators said the funding for broadband in the bipartisan infrastructure package signed into law last month is critical for their communities. While many acknowledged the problem has existed for decades, the pandemic put a spotlight on...

STURGEON BAY – Results of a study and survey commissioned by the Door County Economic Development Corp. on high-speed broadband internet service in the county confirmed what many have long thought — there isn’t much broadband available, some areas have little or no...

“I asked them not to let Seneca County be left behind,” she said. “I made a plea to the county commissioners to take the lead.”

Cleveland’s twin problems of poverty and access have made it the most disconnected major city in the country. According to the National Digital Inclusion Alliance’s analysis of worst connected cities, some 30% of residents in 2019 had no internet access of any kind and 45% lacked higher-speed cable, fiber optic, or DSL hookups.

Much of Northwest Ohio, including communities around Bowling Green, lack access to reliable, high-speed internet. As a small business owner in Weston, I use a hotspot to conduct business because I, like so many folks outside of large metropolitan areas of Ohio, do not have broadband access.

Six of the 10 fastest internet service providers in the United States are either directly run by a local community or involve some form of partnership between the public and private sectors, according to a new study from PC Magazine.

The study, published last week, revealed that municipally run ISPs often outperform telecommunications companies.

SCLEVELAND, Ohio – Rocket Community Fund and the Cleveland Foundation will donate a combined $1.35 million to a new program focused on bridging the city’s digital divide.

The “Neigbor to Neighbor” partnership, announced on Wednesday at LaSalle Thetre.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The pandemic highlighted the importance of having reliable access high speed internet for Ohioians, Now, a proposed law would prevent government entities from stepping in and providing permanent fixes, meaning minucipal broadband services could be no more.

Thi digital divide is a big problem nationwide.

SPRINGFIELD TWP, Ohio (WKBN) – At a trustees meeting Wednesday night, the Springfield Township community discussed the future of high-speed internet.

According to a study done by the township, some residents do not have internet access, something people became very aware of when COVID-19 hit.

LANCASTER – The Fairfield County commissioners have allocated up to $500,000 to bring broadband access to more county residents.

The money is part of the American Rescue Plan act and will support winning bidders of the Ohio Residential Broadband Grant Program. That program gives grants to internet service.