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

Contact: Amanda Murphy

614-220-0190 or amurphy@connectohio.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 6, 2011

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

COLUMBUS –Washington County Commissioners, along with assistance from Connect Ohio and Buckeye Hill-Hocking Valley Regional Development District LDD GIS department, has announced the release of a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the construction of a wireless broadband network throughout the county.

Commissioners Cora Marshall, Timothy Irvine, and Steven Weber released the proposal as an invitation to Wireless Internet Service Providers (WISP) to expand the access and availability of broadband Internet services to commercial, residential, and publically owned locations in Washington County.

According to the RFP, it was created with the following two objectives:

• Expand broadband throughout Washington County, especially in unserved and underserved areas at or below current market rates
• Expand no charge law enforcement and lower cost first responder data network access throughout Washington County

The RFP also details initiatives undertaken to assist the WISP in the expansion efforts and includes the following:

• Secured access to 10 Multi Agency Radio Communications System Towers (MARCS)
• Access to county-owned vertical assets
• Secured participation by majority of area water authorities with access to 17 water and communication towers
• Customized GIS layers with Dot-On-House information
• Signal distribution analysis and business case model provided by Connect Ohio

The contact person for Washington County’s RFP project is Eric Skomra, county IT director. He can be reached at (740) 374-6623, ext. 301 or eskomra@wcgov.org.

“The Washington County Commissioners recognize the importance of broadband availability for all county citizens, especially those that live in rural areas,” said Bart Winegar, Connect Ohio technical outreach manager. “The Commissioners are doing all they can to attract broadband providers to the unserved areas and this RFP is evidence of their efforts.”

Connect Ohio technical outreach staff had the opportunity to work closely with Washington County officials and Buckeye Hill-Hocking Valley Regional Development District LDD GIS department, completing data collection, cost estimates, and propagation studies. Connect Ohio used the data to provide a customized business model for broadband expansion for the county, which is included in the RFP.

“Bart Winegar and Ira Dye of Connect Ohio have done a phenomenal job taking the data we provided and producing a strong, viable business case for Wireless Broadband delivery in Washington County,” shared Skomra. “I believe any WISP who reviews the detailed data and the analysis provided will be highly compelled to participate in our RFP.”

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%.*

Additional Washington County technology statistics can be found on Connect Ohio’s website or by visiting the following link: http://connectohio.org/mapping_and_research/county_profiles/washington/.

*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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