MEDIA ADVISORY: Connect Ohio to Release New Statewide Broadband Insights and County-Level Technology Adoption Data

MEDIA ADVISORY

June 23, 2011

Connect Ohio to Release New Statewide Broadband Insights and County-Level Technology Adoption Data

COLUMBUS – Connect Ohio is releasing new statewide and county-level technology adoption data at the organization’s quarterly Technology Association meeting.

On Friday, June 24, Connect Ohio and Connected Nation will share the results of a survey of 1,201 Ohio adults that explores the adoption of technology in households throughout the state, as well as in each of Ohio’s 88 counties.

Below are highlights of the state data that will be presented:

• Since 2008, home broadband adoption in Ohio has increased from 55% of households to 66%. In the last year, this growth trend has slowed, while dial-up subscriptions have continued to decline.
• Since 2008, mobile broadband adoption has increased from 13% to 31%, with the largest increases in the last two years.
• Although home broadband adoption has slowed in the last year, more adults are using mobile broadband options, leading to an overall increase in broadband usage – from 69% in 2010 to 72% in 2011.

Since June 2008, Connect Ohio has provided mapping and research to identify broadband opportunities for Ohio’s citizens. Since its initial assessments, Connect Ohio has worked with both public and private partners to develop programs to increase broadband availability, adoption, and use. The meeting will include a review of a few of the specific projects and changes that have been brought about through these partnerships.

Connect Ohio has extended its services to now include the Every Citizen Online program, which 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. Already, nearly 6,000 Ohio adults have taken advantage of this free program.

Who:

• Tom Fritz, Executive Director, Connect Ohio
• Tom Koutsky, Chief Policy Counsel, Connected Nation
• Chris McGovern, Research Development Manager, Connected Nation
• Representatives from Ohio government offices, libraries and educational organizations, and telecommunication companies

What: New Residential Technology Assessment results showing state and county technology adoption at Connect Ohio’s quarterly Technology Association meeting

When: Friday, June 24, 2011
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM EST

Where: Vern Riffe Center
31st Floor Conference Center, Rooms South B & C
77 South High Street
Columbus, Ohio 43215

Contact: Amanda Murphy of Connect Ohio at (614) 214-6755 or
amurphy@connectohio.org.

Learn more about Connect Ohio’s Technology Association by visiting http://connectohio.org/partnership/steering_Committee.php.

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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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