Thursday, August 19, 2010

Connect Ohio Applauds $118 Million in Federal Funding for Three State Broadband Projects

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 18, 2010
Contact: Chris Pugh
614-220-0190 or cpugh@connectohio.org

COLUMBUS – Three Ohio broadband projects by Connect Ohio, OneCommunity, and Horizon Telecom will receive funding from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). The awards are among the 94 Recovery Act investments in broadband projects announced today by Vice President Biden that will create jobs and expand economic opportunities within 37 states.

A total of $118 million will be used for the Ohio projects to build sustainable broadband adoption, public computing capacity, and broadband infrastructure across the state.

"We're excited about the investments the federal government has made to directly benefit Ohioans," Connect Ohio Executive Director Tom Fritz said. "Our research shows three million state residents don't currently use home-based broadband services and today's announcement will help to bridge the gap and bring broadband’s benefits to thousands of new Ohio families and small businesses."

Governor Ted Strickland established Connect Ohio in 2007 to help extend affordable high-speed Internet service to Ohio households and community institutions. The Connect Ohio initiative was brought in to work with providers, libraries, and community organizations in each county to identify projects that could ensure Ohio’s full participation in today’s digital economy. Across the state, communities identified the need for more complete broadband access and for additional training and awareness programs. The combination of infrastructure and training grants will help to enable those goals, statewide.

"These awards support our plan to create a seamless broadband infrastructure throughout Ohio,” Strickland said. “Comprehensive Internet access is one part of our strategy to lay the groundwork for Ohio's long-term economic growth and improve Ohio's business environment. … access to high-speed Internet is increasingly essential for businesses and is a gateway to connecting our students with the world. I want to thank the Obama administration and our Ohio Congressional leaders for their continued support of our goal to make sure that every part of Ohio has access to high-speed Internet services.”

“I'm excited to see how various entities have worked together to secure this funding,” Policy Advisor to the State CIO Katrina Flory said. “The state will see an economic benefit from added infrastructure, education, and public computing capacity.”

The Ohio projects that received awards are:

One Community, ($44.8 million): Today’s grant will fund 64% of the nearly $70 million fiber optic network construction project titled “Transforming Northeast Ohio: From Rust Belt to Tech Powerhouse,” which will serve 20 counties across Northeast Ohio. The grant, awarded by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Comprehensive Community Infrastructure (CCI) program, will add nearly 1,000 miles of fiber-optic cable to the OneCommunity network.

“Together, we have created a truly unique, open, state-wide fiber network that will serve the needs of our local community providers and bring high-speed broadband services to all Ohioans – ensuring we have the ability to compete in the global economy,” OneCommunity President & CEO Scott Rourke said. “This project will position Ohio as a national leader in deployed broadband infrastructure, opening the door for the attraction of significant outside corporate investment and local community benefit. Once completed, Ohio will possess a unique environment for the design, development, testing and deployment of advanced e-government, telemedicine, biotech, and twenty-first century learning applications.”

Horizon, ($66.5 million): An NTIA grant will fund 70% of a $94.9 million fiber optic network construction project which will connect Ohio's Appalachian counties. The project, designated the Connecting Appalachian Ohio Middle Mile Consortium (CAOMMC), will provide high-capacity broadband services with speeds of up to 10 Gigabits per second over a 1,960-mile network to approximately 600 regional community anchor institutions, including 212 healthcare facilities, 25 community colleges, 15 universities, 231 K-12 schools, 34 county public safety answering points, 32 MARCS towers, and 34 industrial parks. Currently, more than 80% of those facilities lack fiber-based broadband access and/or the necessary minimum speeds to match their Internet needs.

“Horizon is both grateful and excited that the NTIA recognized the importance of deploying an advanced broadband backbone in Appalachian Ohio and chose to help fund this valuable project,” Horizon CEO Bill McKell said. “Horizon looks forward to using this network to meet the broadband needs of the regional community anchor institutions and businesses serving the communities in these counties.”

Connect Ohio, ($6.9 million): The grant will fund a portion of the organization's $10 million Ohio Public Adoption Through Libraries/Every Community Online Adoption Project, which offers free computer training sessions at public libraries and community colleges throughout Ohio and is expected to immediately create 136 jobs, train 209,000 consumers over two years, and inspire a total of 75,000 new households to adopt broadband. Public computing capacity will also be enhanced by the placement of more than 2,000 new public computers that will be distributed to dozens of public library and community college locations across the state along with the necessary curriculum to be used in the training program.
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Connect Ohio, a division of Connected Nation, is a nonprofit, technology-neutral public-private partnership that works with telecommunications providers, business and community leaders, information technology companies, researchers, public agencies, libraries and universities in an effort to help extend affordable high-speed Internet service to every Ohio household. For more information about what Connect Ohio is doing to accelerate technology in Ohio's communities, visit http://www.connectohio.org

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Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Connect Ohio Awarded $6.9 million in Recovery Act Funding to Advance Sustainable Broadband Adoption Throughout the State

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Chris Pugh
614-220-0190 or cpugh@connectohio.org

Grant will provide more than 200,000 Ohioans
with computer training and encourage broadband use

COLUMBUS, OH – Connect Ohio’s Public Adoption Through Libraries/Every Community Online Adoption Project will receive $6.9 million in federal funding in an effort to increase sustainable broadband adoption for millions of state residents. The program offers free computer training sessions provided at public libraries and community colleges throughout Ohio and will introduce new users to a wide range of communication, education, and healthcare tools available online.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) matching grant is awarded by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP). BTOP provides grants to support the deployment of broadband infrastructure, enhance and expand public computer centers, and encourage sustainable adoption of broadband service. The overall project cost is just under $10 million.

“Access to high-speed Internet is increasingly essential for businesses and is a gateway to connecting our students and residents with the world,” Ohio Governor Ted Strickland said. “I want to thank the Obama administration and our Ohio Congressional leaders for their continued support of our goal to make sure that every part of Ohio has access to high-speed Internet services."

Connect Ohio’s two-year program provides the necessary equipment, training, technical support, and public awareness components to create publicly accessible training sessions in Ohio’s public libraries and community colleges, educate new computer users and help them take advantage of the powerful social and economic tools available through high-speed Internet service.
The project is expected to immediately create 136 jobs, train 209,000 consumers over two years, and inspire a total of 75,000 new households to adopt broadband in their daily lives. Public computing capacity will also be enhanced by the placement of more than 2,000 new public computers that will be distributed to dozens of public library and community college locations across the state along with the necessary curriculum to be used in the training program.
Connect Ohio will produce marketing and advertising for the project in order to educate state residents about the benefits of home-based broadband service and to encourage attendance at the free training sessions.

"This project will provide more than 200,000 Ohioans with free hands-on computer training to prepare them for a technologically-driven society," Connect Ohio Executive Director Tom Fritz said. “Currently, just 66% of Ohio households subscribe to broadband service, leaving more than three million Ohioans on the wrong side of the digital divide.”

Connect Ohio will be facilitating the $6.9 million grant as an extension of their ongoing work to expand broadband, established by Strickland in 2007 and funded by the state since 2008. The $10 million program is enabled not only by the federal grant, but also through more than $3 million in assistance and contributions from a number of primarily non-profit partners, including The Ohio Public Television Stations, Ohio Public Radio, The Ohio Association of Broadcasters, State Library of Ohio, the Ohio Public Library Information Network, 202 local library systems, and more than 530 individual branches. Columbus State Community College, Central Ohio Technical College, Sinclair Community College, Rio Grande Community College and Belmont Technical College are some of the educational partners committed across the state.

Connect Ohio is encouraging broadband service providers across the state to join the effort by providing special new-subscriber incentives to participants.

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Connect Ohio, a division of Connected Nation, is a nonprofit, technology-neutral public-private partnership that works with telecommunications providers, business and community leaders, information technology companies, researchers, public agencies, libraries and universities in an effort to help extend affordable high-speed Internet service to every Ohio household. For more information about what Connect Ohio is doing to accelerate technology in Ohio's communities, visit http://www.connectohio.org

Related Links: Connect Ohio Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/ConnectOhio

Connect Ohio Twitter page: http://www.twitter.com/ConnectOH

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Thursday, August 5, 2010

Connect Ohio Applauds Federal Grant to New Era Broadband for High-Speed Internet Expansion in Meigs County

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 5, 2010
Contact: Chris Pugh
614-214-6755 or cpugh@connectohio.org

MEIGS COUNTY, OHIO - New Era Broadband, LLC received a federal Rural Utilities Services Broadband Initiatives Program grant Wednesday totaling $2,954,929 for broadband expansion in Meigs County.

The grant will be used over the next 24 months for a last-mile infrastructure project which will provide fixed point to multi-point wireless broadband service connecting nearly 3,500 unserved households, businesses, and critical service facilities in the county. In addition, the project is expected to bring over 25 new jobs for county businesses.

"Our project will benefit Meigs County residents for years to come," New Era Broadband Company President, Brien Burke said. "The grant will bring affordable high-speed Internet service to nearly 3,500 residents and businesses here. The award will also provide economic opportunities for the County, which will be able to have higher speed Internet at a lower price.”

The company is incorporated in 2007 and currently serves 117 broadband accounts in Meigs County.

New Era Broadband's award is part of the $7.2 billion made available by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 for the purpose of bringing broadband to populations in the United States underserved by broadband.

"We believe expanding high-speed Internet access is a key step to help improve the economies of Ohio's rural and underserved areas," Ohio Governor Ted Strickland said. "Today's award for Meigs County is another step toward our goal of total broadband access across the state."

Assistance for the project was offered by Connect Ohio, a nonprofit, technology-neutral, public-private partnership that works with telecommunications providers, business and community leaders, information technology companies, researchers, public agencies, libraries, and universities in an effort to help extend affordable high-speed Internet service to every Ohio household.

"This funding will help Meigs County residents take advantage of the benefits available through access to high-speed Internet service," Connect Ohio Executive Director Tom Fritz said. "It highlights the importance of the broadband mapping and planning efforts Ohio has undertaken since 2007 as part of Governor Strickland’s Connect Ohio initiative.”

Connected Nation, the parent organization of Connect Ohio, worked with New Era Broadband on the project.

"We helped them identify unserved areas and public safety towers to use for transmitters," Connected Nation Director of Engineering and Technical Services Chip Spann said. "In addition, programming and design consulting was provided as part of New Era's grant application."

Connect Ohio also held monthly meetings in Meigs County as part of its eCommunity Strategies program, which covers all 88 Ohio counties.

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For more information about what Connect Ohio is doing to accelerate technology in Ohio's communities, visit http://www.connectohio.org

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Related links:

Connect Ohio Facebook page

Connect Ohio Twitter page

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Connect Ohio Applauds Federal Grant to Utopian Wireless Corporation for WiMax Infrastructure in Kinsman, Ohio

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 5, 2010
Contact: Chris Pugh
614-214-6755 or cpugh@connectohio.org

Utopian Wireless Corporation received a federal Rural Utilities Services Broadband Initiatives Program grant Wednesday totaling $1,395,703 for broadband expansion in Kinsman, Ohio and surrounding areas.

The grant will be used to build WiMax Infrastructure in Kinsman, Ohio. The addition is expected to benefit 4,200 residents, 450 businesses, and 14 community institutions as well as create 12 jobs.

Utopian Wireless Corporation’s award is part of the $7.2 billion made available by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 for the purpose of bringing broadband to populations in the United States underserved by broadband.

"We believe expanding high-speed Internet access is a key step to help improve the economies of Ohio's rural and underserved areas," Ohio Governor Ted Strickland said. "Today's award is another step toward our goal of total broadband access across the state."

Connect Ohio, a nonprofit, technology-neutral, public-private partnership that works with telecommunications providers and local government, business and community leaders in an effort to help extend affordable high-speed Internet service to every Ohio household, held local monthly meetings in Trumbull County as part of its eCommunity Strategies program, which covers all 88 Ohio counties.

"This funding will help these communities take advantage of the benefits available through access to high-speed Internet service," Connect Ohio Executive Director Tom Fritz said. "It highlights the importance of the broadband mapping and planning efforts Ohio has undertaken since 2007 as part of Governor Strickland’s Connect Ohio initiative.”

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For more information about what Connect Ohio is doing to accelerate technology in Ohio's communities, visit http://www.connectohio.org

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Related links:

Connect Ohio Facebook page

Connect Ohio Twitter page

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Connect Ohio Applauds Federal Grant to Southern Ohio Communications Services for VOIP, High-Speed Internet Expansion in Pike and Adams counties

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 5, 2010
Contact: Chris Pugh
614-214-6755 or cpugh@connectohio.org

Southern Ohio Communication Services Inc, received a federal Rural Utilities Services Broadband Initiatives Program grant Wednesday totaling $1,448,441 million for broadband expansion in Pike and Adams counties.

The grant will provide broadband and Voice Over Internet Protocol services to the unserved and underserved population in Pike and Adams counties and is expected to benefit 14,000 residents, 180 businesses, several community institutions and is expected to create approximately 400 jobs.

“The high-speed affordable Internet service will provide a pathway to the world and enrich the lives of people in the areas of education, health-care, employment, shopping and communications,” Southern Ohio Communications President Gary Cooper said.

The company has been providing high-speed Internet service since 2003 and currently serves customers in Pike and Adams counties.

Southern Ohio Communications Services Inc.'s award is part of the $7.2 billion made available by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 for the purpose of bringing broadband to populations in the United States underserved by broadband.

"We believe expanding high-speed Internet access is a key step to help improve the economies of Ohio's rural and underserved areas," Ohio Governor Ted Strickland said. "Today's award for Pike and Adams counties is another step toward our goal of total broadband access across the state."

Connect Ohio, a nonprofit, technology-neutral, public-private partnership that works with telecommunications providers, business and community leaders, and local institutions in an effort to help extend affordable high-speed Internet service to every Ohio household, held monthly meetings in Pike and Adams counties as part of its eCommunity Strategies program, which covers all 88 Ohio counties.

"This funding will help Pike and Adams county residents take advantage of the benefits available through access to high-speed Internet service," Connect Ohio Executive Director Tom Fritz said. "It highlights the importance of the broadband mapping and planning efforts Ohio has undertaken since 2007 as part of Governor Strickland’s Connect Ohio initiative.”

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For more information about what Connect Ohio is doing to accelerate technology in Ohio's communities, visit http://www.connectohio.org

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Related links:

Connect Ohio Facebook page

Connect Ohio Twitter page

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Connect Ohio Applauds Federal Grant to Nelsonville TV Cable Inc. for Broadband Expansion in Athens, Hocking and Morgan Counties

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 5, 2010
Contact: Chris Pugh
614-214-6755 or cpugh@connectohio.org

Nelsonville TV Cable Inc. received a federal Rural Utilities Services Broadband Initiatives Program grant Wednesday totaling $4,638,173 for broadband expansion in Athens, Hocking, and Morgan counties.

The grant will be used to bring broadband and digital cable service to the rural communities and is expected to benefit 3,500 people, 3,000 businesses, and 20 community institutions as well as create about 20 new jobs.

"This grant will bring many benefits to residents in these communities," Nelsonville TV Cable Inc. Manager Jim Edwards said. "We believe that in addition to bringing broadband services to about 6,500 residents and businesses there, the award will also provide future jobs and economic opportunities. These counties will have access to less expensive, higher speed Internet service. I also appreciate the work of Ohio Governor Ted Strickland, U.S. Representative Zack Space, State Representative Debbie Phillips and State Senator Jimmy Stewart."

The company has been in business since 1951 and serves about 2,300 broadband customers in Athens and Hocking counties. With the grant, Edwards said the company will also expand its services into Morgan County.

Nelsonville TV Cable Inc.’s award is part of the $7.2 billion made available by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 for the purpose of bringing broadband to populations in the United States underserved by broadband.

"We believe expanding high-speed Internet access is a key step to help improve the economies of Ohio's rural and underserved areas," Ohio Governor Ted Strickland said. "Today's award for these communities is another step toward our goal of total broadband access across the state."

Connect Ohio, a nonprofit, technology-neutral, public-private partnership that works with telecommunications providers and local government, business and community leaders in an effort to help extend affordable high-speed Internet service to every Ohio household, held local monthly meetings in Athens, Morgan, and Hocking counties as part of its eCommunity Strategies program, which covers all 88 Ohio counties. In addition, Connect Ohio consulted with Nelsonville on its broadband application.

"This funding will help these communities take advantage of the benefits available through access to high-speed Internet service," Connect Ohio Executive Director Tom Fritz said. "It highlights the importance of the broadband mapping and planning efforts Ohio has undertaken since 2007 as part of Governor Strickland’s Connect Ohio initiative.”

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For more information about what Connect Ohio is doing to accelerate technology in Ohio's communities, visit http://www.connectohio.org

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Related links:

Connect Ohio Facebook page

Connect Ohio Twitter page

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Connect Ohio Applauds Federal Grant to Sycamore Telephone Company for Fiber-to-the-Home Expansion in Sycamore, Melmore, and McCutchensville

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 5, 2010
Contact: Chris Pugh
614-214-6755 or cpugh@connectohio.org

Sycamore Telephone Company has received a federal Rural Utilities Services Broadband Initiatives Program grant Wednesday totaling $4,149,155 for broadband expansion in the villages of Sycamore, Melmore, and McCutchensville.

The grant will be used to build a Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) system in the three villages and is expected to benefit 4,200 residents, 450 businesses, and 14 community institutions as well as create over 25 new jobs.

"This decision is a major win for residents in these villages," Sycamore Telephone Company General Manager Steve Ekleberry said. "We're pleased to be able to bring fiber-to-the-home service to about 4,200 residents and businesses there. The award will also provide future jobs and economic opportunities for the villages, which will have access to less expensive, higher speed Internet service."

The company was founded in 1894 and provides telephone service to about 1,600 customers and DSL packages to nearly 900 subscribers in portions of Wyandot, Seneca and Crawford counties.

Sycamore Telephone Company’s award is part of the $7.2 billion made available by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 for the purpose of bringing broadband to populations in the United States underserved by broadband.

"We believe expanding high-speed Internet access is a key step to help improve the economies of Ohio's rural and underserved areas," Ohio Governor Ted Strickland said. "Today's award for these villages is another step toward our goal of total broadband access across the state."

Connect Ohio, a nonprofit, technology-neutral, public-private partnership that works with telecommunications providers, local government, business and community leaders and community institutions, in an effort to help extend affordable high-speed Internet service to every Ohio household, held local monthly meetings in Wyandot and Seneca counties as part of its eCommunity Strategies program, which covers all 88 Ohio counties.

"This funding will help these communities take advantage of the benefits available through access to high-speed Internet service," Connect Ohio Executive Director Tom Fritz said. "It highlights the importance of the broadband mapping and planning efforts Ohio has undertaken since 2007 as part of Governor Strickland’s Connect Ohio initiative.”

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For more information about what Connect Ohio is doing to accelerate technology in Ohio's communities, visit http://www.connectohio.org

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Connect Ohio Facebook page

Connect Ohio Twitter page

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