Ohioans Without Broadband May be Eligible for Satellite Service Through Federally Funded Program

Ohioans Without Broadband May be Eligible for Satellite Service Through Federally Funded Program

Contact: Amanda Murphy
614-220-0190 or amurphy@connectohio.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 31, 2011


Households currently without Internet access may be eligible for discounted satellite services from HughesNet

COLUMBUS – In August 2010, $100 million was awarded to 4 satellite service companies throughout the country to fund equipment, installation, and activation of services to rural homes and businesses not served by traditional broadband providers. The funds were made available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) through the Rural Utilities Service (RUS).

Hughes Network Systems is offering the service for rural Ohio areas. The company was awarded $58 million of the grant for nationwide satellite services and is expected to connect over 258,000 people and 3,200 businesses.

For qualifying addresses, the grant will fund satellite equipment, installation, and activation of services at no cost to the consumer and the monthly cost of satellite services must be economically feasible - $50 or less for at least one year.

According to a press release from the company, eligible households can choose from three HughesNet service plans with no installation or equipment charges. Because the initiative is designed to help bring broadband access to households that do not have it, Recovery Act Funds are only available to new customers. Households that currently have – or have access to – high-speed Internet service are not eligible.

The services may not be available in locations where other broadband service installations are planned for the near future and the offer will expire once the funds are depleted.

To see if your home or business address qualifies for this program, go to http://hughesnet.com/ and click on For Your Residence, or call HughesNet at 1-866-928-7479.

To view whether traditional providers service your area and who those providers are, visit Connect Ohio’s BroadbandStat, an online interactive map. Go to http://connectohio.org/mapping_and_research/interactive_map.php and click on the map graphic in the middle of the screen.

# # #

About Connect Ohio: 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 on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ConnectOhio

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


# # #