Connect Ohio Helps to Expand Internet Access in Crawford County and Liberty Township

Contact: Amanda Murphy 

amurphy@connectohio.org 

614-220-0190 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

October 27, 2011 

WaveLinc now provides high-speed Internet access to Sulfur Springs in collaboration with Liberty Township Fire Department 

Columbus, Ohio – Connect Ohio is pleased to be part of the collaborative efforts of broadband provider WaveLinc and Liberty Township Fire Department- to expand high-speed Internet access to homes and businesses in Crawford County through a recent expansion tower.

According to fire chief- Rick Harley, the Liberty Township Fire Department was looking to build a communications tower for the fire station, which has always been in a “dead area” for broadband, radio traffic, and cell phone service. WaveLinc presented a broadband expansion plan- after hearing the fire department was looking to build a tower.

Connect Ohio worked in assisting the provider and the county commissioners in discussing the use and regulations of the tower. The plan was proposed by WaveLinc after many residents showed a growing interest in having home broadband, according to Kurt Fankhauser, owner of WaveLinc.

Crawford County officials accepted the proposed agreement with WaveLinc to share the tower in order to bring broadband to Sulfur Springs.

“Having high-speed Internet is certainly better. The tower is a win-win situation,” said Harley. “I’ve looked at it as a community service. It’s helping us out, and it’s helping others in the community who want high-speed Internet that weren’t able to get it before.”

The new tower is currently providing wireless broadband service to a dozen homes that did not have it before. The tower could provide service for several hundred homes if the town were to expand.

“It is exciting to see community leaders cooperating with a local broadband provider to offer high-speed Internet to residents who otherwise would be left behind,” said Bart Winegar, Technical Outreach Manager for Connect Ohio.

According to Connect Ohio’s 2011 Residential Technology Assessment for Crawford County, where Liberty Township is located, 69% of households receive broadband service to the home, which is more than the state average of 66%.

Other Crawford County technology figures:

• Of the 69% of residents who subscribe to broadband, 63% claim to be satisfied, 36% are somewhat satisfied, and 1% say they are not satisfied with their service
• For those who do not subscribe to home broadband service, 33% claim they do not need broadband, 38% do not own a computer, and 24% say broadband is too expensive
• The average monthly cost for home broadband service in Crawford County is$43.37, just below the state average of $43.41

For more information on WaveLinc, visit http://www.wavelinc.com/

Additional Crawford County technology research can be found at http://connectohio.org/_documents/Technology_Assessment_Crawford_County_2011.pdf 

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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

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