Connect Ohio Applauds Jackson County RFP Release and Efforts to Expand Broadband Availability

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


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 18, 2011

JCEDB, with the help of Connect Ohio, has released an RFP for Wireless Internet Service Providers, which would allow for high-speed Internet to reach a majority of county households.

COLUMBUS – The Jackson County Economic Development Board (JCEDB), a not-for-profit 501(c)(3), in cooperation with Jackson County Board of Commissioners, City of Jackson, City of Wellston, Village of Coalton, Village of Oak Hill, and the Jackson County Water Company, along with assistance from Connect Ohio, has announced the release of a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the construction of a wireless broadband network throughout the county.

JCEDB released the proposal in an effort to expand the access and availability of broadband Internet services to commercial, residential, and publically owned locations in Jackson County. The Wireless Internet Service Provider (WISP)-friendly RFP is an invitation to providers to bring broadband to the unserved and underserved residents and businesses of not only Jackson County, but neighboring counties, as well.

According to a statement from JCEDB, the top five most compelling reasons providers should consider responding to the RFP include:
• Single point of contact and low cost access to county-wide towers and water tanks
• Local marketing assistance and community cooperation
• Wireless propagation analysis
• Business case study
• Limited financial assistance to contribute to the project

The RFP is available for view by broadband providers at http://www.jcedb.com.

“The citizens of Jackson County have been well served by the level of effort and dedication of resources that went into this project,” said Bart Winegar, Connect Ohio technical outreach manager. “We are hopeful that the broadband provider community will recognize the full and unified support of the county to help them succeed.”

Connect Ohio technical outreach staff had the opportunity to work closely with Jackson County officials and the JCEDB for months, completing data collection, cost estimates, and propagation studies. Connect Ohio used the data to provide a customized business model for broadband expansion in Jackson County, which is included in the RFP.

“Connect Ohio has been an invaluable partner in the RFP process,” said Sam Brady, Jackson County economic development specialist. “Their expertise has been a huge asset to Jackson County and its project partners.”

“This has been an ideal public/private partnership at all levels with JCEDB, Connect Ohio, and our local government partners,” said Jennifer Jacobs, Jackson County Economic Development Board executive director. “This project has displayed the very best of the cooperative spirit among our local leaders to move Jackson County ahead.”

According to Connect Ohio’s 2008 Consumer Technology Assessment for Jackson County, 27% of households received broadband service to the home, significantly less than the state average at the time, which was 55%.* Additional Jackson County technology statistics can be found on Connect Ohio’s website or by visiting the following link: http://www.connectohio.org/mapping_and_research/county_profiles/jackson/.

*A 2011 Residential Technology Assessment for each county will be available later this year.

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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


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Connect Ohio Announces Computer Giveaway for Participants of Free Statewide Internet Training Program

Connect Ohio Announces Computer Giveaway for Participants of Free Statewide Internet Training Program

Contact: Amanda Murphy
614-220-0190 or amurphy@connectohio.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 8, 2011

Twelve Ohioans will be randomly selected to receive a new netbook computer following completion of the free computer-training program

COLUMBUS – Connect Ohio, a nonprofit public-private partnership, will be distributing 12 new netbook computers to Ohio adults who have completed the Every Citizen Online free basic computer-training program. Program participants completing an online survey following the training will be entered into the random drawing giveaway. The entry period is April 5 through June 20. Winners will be contacted and announced in late June.

“Ohio adults have already shown great interest in the Every Citizen Online program and the opportunity for free basic computer and Internet training,” said Tom Fritz, Connect Ohio executive director. “We’re excited about the opportunity to distribute new computers to a dozen of the adults taking advantage of the program to help them get online more easily.”

The Every Citizen Online program offers free basic computer and Internet training to adults in Ohio in an effort to introduce new users to a wide range of communication, education, and healthcare tools available online. Connect Ohio has partnered with more than 200 libraries, community colleges, education and career centers across the state to offer the training.

More than 3,000 adults have already completed the Every Citizen Online training since it launched in late December 2010. The training consists of 2 hours each of Basic Introduction to Computers, An Introduction to the Internet, and Tools and Benefits of using the Internet. Participants are helped to establish an e-mail account and provided with additional training resources to help them continue to learn and use information available online. Connect Ohio plans to train a total of 200,000 Ohioans by program completion in December 2012.

Local training locations can be found by calling 1-855-NOW-I-CAN (669-42260) or by visiting http://connectoh.org/consumer_training/training_facilities.php.

Contest rules and guidelines are listed on Connect Ohio’s website at http://connectoh.org/consumer_training/computer_giveaway.php or you may receive a copy by e-mailing amurphy@connectohio.org.

For more information on the Every Citizen Online program, visit http://connectohio.org/consumer_training.

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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 on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ConnectOhio

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

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Connect Ohio Provides Broadband Expansion Model to Washington County Commissioners

Connect Ohio Provides Broadband Expansion Model to Washington County Commissioners

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

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 7, 2011

Connect Ohio’s model would allow high-speed Internet to reach a majority of Washington County households.

COLUMBUS – Connect Ohio staff presented Washington County officials today with information that paves the way for greater broadband access for county residents.

Connect Ohio’s technical outreach team has been working closely with Washington County officials for months and provided a preliminary model for broadband expansion that is financially viable and sustainable at today’s county commissioner meeting in Marietta. A finalized report will be completed and delivered in the coming weeks.

The model is a result of the collaborative efforts between Connect Ohio and county commissioners Samuel Cook, Cora Marshall, and Steven Weber, county IT administrator Eric Skomra, and Buckeye Hill–Hocking Valley Regional Development District LDD GIS Department’s Bret Allphin and Jason Pyles.

Connect Ohio technical outreach manager Bart Winegar and coordinator Ira Dye presented commissioners with the preliminary data collection, cost estimates, and propagation studies for the expansion model customized for Washington County. The model can be utilized for Washington County’s draft of a Request for Proposal (RFP) for Internet service providers to expand in the area. A completed RFP is expected to be released in early May.

“Connect Ohio has, in a sense, answered all of the difficult questions that a WISP (Wireless Service Provider) would ask,” said Skomra.

Washington County commissioners have already secured agreements to utilize Multi-Agency Radio Communications Systems (MARCS) towers throughout the county, leveraging existing infrastructure in order to distribute broadband signals to homes and businesses.

“We are very close to concluding a study that began over a year ago,” said Winegar. “We are excited about the potential of this study to be used to bring broadband to the unserved citizens of Washington County.”

“There’s a huge amount of work that’s gone into this (model),” said Skomra. “I couldn’t be more pleased with Connect Ohio, Buckeye Hill, and everyone involved.”

According to Connect Ohio’s 2008 Consumer Technology Assessment for Washington County, only 37% of households received broadband service to the home, significantly less than the state average at the time, which was 55%.*

“I can’t wait to see the end product of this effort,” said Allphin.

In a few weeks, the group will reconvene to discuss the next steps needed to make the model a reality.

Those in attendance for Thursday’s meeting included:

Tim Irvine, Washington County commissioner
Cora Marshall, Washington County commissioner
Steven Weber, Washington County commissioner
Rick Peoples, Washington County commissioner’s clerk
Eric Skomra, Washington County IT administrator
Bret Allphin, Buckeye Hills–Hocking Valley Regional Development District
Jason Pyles, Buckeye Hills–Hocking Valley Regional Development District
Richard Hays, Washington County 911 coordinator
Ira Dye, technical outreach coordinator of Connect Ohio
Tom Fritz, executive director of Connect Ohio
Bart Winegar, technical outreach manager of Connect Ohio
Tom Ferree, chief operating officer of Connected Nation

*A 2011 Residential Technology Assessment for each county will be available later this year.

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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

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Connect Ohio Names YouTube Video PSA Contest Winners

Connect Ohio Names YouTube Video PSA Contest Winners

Contact: Amanda Murphy

614-220-0190 or amurphy@connectohio.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 5, 2011

Winners receive an iPad, others selected as talent for upcoming statewide public service announcements

COLUMBUS – Connect Ohio is proud to announce the winning entries of the organization’s statewide YouTube video public service announcement contest. Of almost three dozen submissions received between February and March 21, 2011, two videos have been chosen as winners and two additional videos have been recognized with an honorable mention. Those featured in each of the winning videos will be invited to take part as actors or voice talent in the production of upcoming statewide Connect Ohio public service announcements. The creators of the two winning videos will also be receiving Apple iPads.

Winning Awardees:
Jorge Morera Gonzalez, Cleveland Heights
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0ln2-wUd3U&feature=channel_video_title

Mark Van Horn, Reynoldsburg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Soj2NGw0kas&feature=channel_video_title

Honorable Mention Awardees:
Bonnie Jean Connor, Westerville
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_P5PHOwJPc&feature=channel_video_title

Brandon Green, Cleveland Heights
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-q5_WP-EM4&feature=channel_video_title

The winning videos were chosen based on their messaging and demonstration of the usefulness of the Internet to the daily lives of Ohioans in an effort to help raise awareness of the statewide Every Citizen Online program.

The Every Citizen Online program offers free basic computer and Internet training to adults in Ohio to introduce new users to a wide range of communication, education, and healthcare tools available online. Connect Ohio has partnered with more than 100 libraries and community colleges across the state to offer the training at 210 locations. A statewide public awareness campaign was launched by Connect Ohio in December 2010 and included television, radio, and print mediums. Additional public service announcements will be produced late April 2011.

All contest entries along with the contest rules and guidelines can be viewed at http://connectohio.org/consumer_training/video_contest.php.

For more information on the Every Citizen Online program, visit http://connectohio.org/consumer_training or call 1-855-NOW-I-CAN (669-42260) to find a local training location.

View Connect Ohio’s current Every Citizen Online televised public service announcements at http://connectohio.org/consumer_training/media.php.

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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 on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ConnectOhio

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

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