New Statewide Broadband Insights and County-Level Technology Adoption Data Released at Connect Ohio’s Quarterly Forum

For Immediate Release

June 24, 2011

Contact: Amanda Murphy

614-214-6755 or amurphy@connectohio.org

Download the New Statewide Technology Data

Since 2008, home broadband adoption in Ohio has increased to 66%, mobile broadband use has increased to 31%, and more than 98% of households have the ability to access high-speed Internet services.

COLUMBUS – On Friday, June 24 at the Vern Riffe Center in Columbus, Connect Ohio hosted the 2011 second quarter Technology Association Meeting with 59 stakeholders, broadband providers, and library and community representatives in attendance.

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.

New statewide and county-level technology adoption data was discussed at today’s meeting. The data was gathered by Connect Ohio and Connected Nation, Connect Ohio’s parent organization, through a survey of Ohio adults. The detailed technology analysis explores adoption of computers and broadband use into households throughout the state. This data is available for viewing on Connect Ohio’s website.

Tom Fritz, Connect Ohio’s executive director, along with Tom Koutsky, Connected Nation’s chief policy counsel, and Chris McGovern, research development manager, highlighted key data from the research, including the following:

• Currently, 80% of Ohioans own a computer, which is an increase from 2008 (76%), but a decrease from 2010 (82%). While traditional computer use is leveling, there is a marked increase in the number of Ohioans who rely on a mobile device as their primary access to broadband service.
• 60% of Ohioans own a desktop computer and 45% own a laptop computer. Reliance on laptop computers and other portable devices is surging.
• Home broadband adoption has increased to 66% in 2011 from 55% in 2008. However, home broadband adoption leveled from last year, which was also 66%.
• Ohio’s home broadband adoption rate is above the national average for 2011, which is 63%.
• 72% of Ohio adults either subscribe to home broadband service or use mobile broadband service.
• Average download speeds have steadily increased in Ohio, increasing from 1.7 Mbps in 2008 to 6.3 Mbps in 2011.

New county-level technology adoption data was also highlighted and the data for each of Ohio’s 88 counties will be released next week.

• In Franklin County, household broadband adoption grew from 67% in 2008 to 72% in 2011.
• Crawford County broadband adoption grew from just 31% in 2008 to 69% in 2011, a 123% growth.
• Meigs, Monroe, and Noble counties’ household broadband adoption growth was more than 150% between 2008 and 2011.

The meeting also detailed the current status of the Every Citizen Online (ECO) program, a two-year effort to increase sustainable broadband adoption for more than 200,000 state residents by providing free computer training sessions throughout Ohio. Since the program’s launch in late December, 222 locations are offering the ECO program, more than 7,200 Ohio adults have taken advantage of the free basic computer training, and more than 8,600 have registered for training through the online site http://eco.connectohio.org/.

Connect Ohio Technical Outreach Manager Bart Winegar gave attendees an overview of current last-mile assistance projects in Ohio, which include 8 counties. The last-mile projects offer assistance to Ohio communities that lack access to broadband by identifying, researching, and mapping unserved areas and interacting with local planning teams to determine the best practices to increase broadband capacity in that area. Winegar also presented details of recent broadband expansion activity.

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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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