High speed internet coming to Amesville

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.