NEWS

$85 million needed to bring broadband to everyone in Tuscarawas County

in In the Media, News

A new study financed by the Ohio Mid-Eastern Governments Association (OMEGA) estimates it would cost nearly $85 million to bring adequate broadband access to underserved areas of Tuscarawas County. The study, conducted by the Reid Consulting Group, found that 30% of households in the county do not have access to FCC minimum internet speeds. The findings […]

Coshocton broadband project launches with Millcreek tower

in In the Media, News

In Coshocton County, more than half the population found themselves without adequate internet access for a myriad of Zoom meetings and online coursework. Especially if multiple people were on the same home signal at once.  Coshocton County Commissioners said they could put nearly $7.2 million in pledged American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding into a variety […]

Governor DeWine, Lt. Governor Husted Announce New Broadband Expansion Projects

in In the Media, News

the Broadband Expansion Authority authorized BroadbandOhio to award more than $232 million in grants to 11 internet service providers as part of the Ohio Residential Broadband Expansion Grant Program. The funding will be used to cover the “broadband funding gap” associated with 33 broadband expansion projects impacting 31 counties. Over $130 million in grant projects (56% of the allocated funds) were awarded to Reid Consulting Group Clients.

New maps show local broadband deficit

in In the Media, News

Broadband speeds are measured in megabits. A bit is a tiny unit of data, and a megabit represents 1 million bits. The higher the number of megabits per second, the faster online activity should be. The Seneca and Wyandot data is from a new mapping resource tool Broadband Ohio released Tuesday on its website, broadband.ohio.gov. […]

Bridging the digital divide in OHIO with GIS

in In the Media, News

Using geographic information system (GIS) technology, RCG has helped Ohio increase insight into its community broadband needs and develop a comprehensive broadband strategy. Access to reliable and high-speed internet is essential for businesses and households in our modern world. The State of Ohio and its leadership understand this and are taking steps to help bridge […]

Broadband speed maps show slower internet in Lima region

in In the Media, News

Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted today recently announced that BroadbandOhio published a new mapping resource tool on Broadband.Ohio.gov that more accurately shows how many of the state’s households are connected to high-speed internet, providing a clearer, more detailed picture of Ohio’s broadband availability gaps. A statewide map along with profiles on each of the 88 […]

Maps reveal broadband need in Rhode Island

in Announcements, News

A 2021 GIS analysis conducted by Reid Consulting Group reveals that 42% of populated square miles in Rhode Island do not have reliable broadband that meets the federal minimum of 100 Mbps down and 20 Mbps up. By combining consumer speed test data with state and federal sources, RCG estimates that 134,000 Rhode Island households […]

High speed internet coming to Amesville

in In the Media, News

A nearly $1 million project promises to bring reliable, high speed internet to Amesville, which currently experiences among the slowest internet speeds in the county.

The Appalachian Regional Commission awarded a $750,000 grant to the Athens County Commissioners for the project, with the county providing $216,320 in local funds according to a press release from U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown’s office. Athens County Commissioner Chris Chmiel said local funds will be provided through the county’s American Recovery Plan Act dollars.

According to data from Connecting Appalachia, 79% of Athens County’s populated areas and 36% of households do not have access to a minimum of 25 megabits per second. Including Amesville, 53.3% of areas in the county representing 18.1% of households experience internet speeds under 10 megabits per second, the slowest speed category tracked by the advocacy group.

Reid said many other areas in the county and region will ultimately need the kind of investment Amesville is now set to receive.

New broadband map reveals Ohio’s digital desert

in Uncategorized

A new Ohio Broadband Availability map released earlier this month, “presents a stark view of the state’s broadband infrastructure: If you don’t live in a city, you can’t get high speed internet. If you do live in a city, that’s still no guarantee,” according to a news release from Connecting Appalachia. Connecting Appalachia is a […]