Stimulus to boost Internet access in area - Vindy.com, The Vindicator Local News Youngstown OH

Schools, hospitals and businesses in rural parts of Trumbull and Mercer counties stand to receive enhanced access to the Internet thanks to a federally funded project.

Nearly 350 miles of fiber-optic cable will be installed in six counties in Northeast Ohio and northwest Pennsylvania by Zito Media Communications of Coudersport, Pa.

Dave Sweet, a spokesman for Connect Ohio, said Trumbull County has nearly 3,600 homes that do not have access to high-speed Internet. Connect Ohio is a public-private partnership that was formed in 2007 to improve Internet access in the state...

Evans announces candidacy for commissioner post

Van Wert County farmer and small business owner Bill "Wilbur" Evans is announcing his candidacy for Van Wert County Commissioner. He is seeking the seat currently held by Harold Merkle.

As Commissioner of Van Wert County, there are many things that Evans says he would like to accomplish. Evans would like to be able to work with the elected officials at the state levels to find different ways to promote Ohio and, especially, Van Wert County's work force.

vans is also an active member of Van Wert County Community Improvement Corporation where he helped to begin the Innovation Center, a place for small businesses to begin operating. He is currently working with Connect Ohio to bring broadband internet service to the Village of Convoy and surrounding areas, enabling schools, businesses and residents to have a high-speed internet connection...

Cincinnati to Google: Please come here | cincinnati.com | Cincinnati.Com

There have been no mayoral pronouncements, no renaming of the city, no publicity stunts at all to get Google to launch its test site here for a network that promises Internet delivery at 100 times today's usual speeds.

Still, local officials say the Queen City has as good a chance as any to attract the Internet search giant's attention and investment in an experimental fiber-optic network for up to 500,000 users. Friday's the deadline for showing interest in the venture.

A recent survey by Connect Ohio, a Columbus-based non-profit advocating for the spread of broadband Internet access, says that the average download speed among consumers in Southwest Ohio is 2 megabits per second - fast enough to download a three-minute song in less than a minute...

Broadband advisory group to create Request for Proposal

LOGAN — The Hocking County Broadband Advisory Group has formed a subcommittee to create a Request For Proposal for Internet service providers to help further broadband Internet access within the county.

The group formed the subcommittee after meeting with Bart Winegar, the new Connect Ohio state operations manager for southeast Ohio, a 22-county region. The southeast region has had a few Connect Ohio representatives since its inception in 2007, as part of Governor Ted Strickland’s effort to develop strategic technology plans to help close the digital divide...

Evans to vie for commissioner — The Delphos Herald

Van Wert County farmer and small business owner Bill “Wilbur” Evans is announcing his candidacy for Van Wert County commissioner. He is seeking the seat currently held by Harold Merkle.

Evans is also an active member of Van Wert County Community Improvement Corporation. While on this board he has helped to begin the Innovation Center, a place for small businesses to begin operating. He is working with Connect Ohio to bring broadband internet service to the Village of Convoy and surrounding areas. This service would be available to schools, businesses and residents, giving them the capability to have a high-speed internet connection...

Community Common - OVRDC Tries Again For Broadband Funding

In March of 2009 the Ohio Valley Regional Development Commission (OVRDC) along with the Southern Ohio Health Care Network, requested over $100 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to bring broadband technology to 32 Appalachian counties in southern and eastern Ohio. The request was denied in the first round of funding. OVRDC has partnered with Horizon Telephone Company of Chillicothe to apply again.

According to Connect Ohio, nearly 88,000 households in southeast Ohio, and more than 200,000 statewide, still don’t have a provider that offers affordable broadband service to their homes.

Connect Ohio has developed a new tool that will allow consumers in Ohio to find high speed internet providers around them. “This tool gives Ohio consumers the ability to quickly and easily find participating providers that offer high-speed Internet service to their homes,” said Bart Winegar, Connect Ohio’s new state operations manager for a 22-county region in southeast Ohio said in a released statement. “Broadband providers, Ohio municipalities, and economic development organizations will now be able to pinpoint exactly which areas should be targeted for broadband expansion.” The online application is now available on Connect Ohio’s website at www.connectohio.org...

Branch and Department visits, more booksales, legislative day « kfender

The last couple of weeks have been extra busy. I visited Hyde Park, Greenhills, Delhi, Green Township and Blue Ash branch libraries, spent all day in Columbus for the Ohio Library Council’s legislative day, attended our Staff Recognition Breakfast and our Board meeting, plus my usual daily work.

At Blue Ash we talked about the many grants for which the Library is applying including a grant with the State Library of Ohio and Connect Ohio to purchase new computer equipment for the branch libraries that were not eligible for new equipment under the Gates Grant...

The-Daily-Record.com - Holmes Library Funding more grim than expected

MILLERSBURG -- Despite initial projections state funding of local libraries would run 7 percent-9 percent less this year than in 2009, after three months, the financial picture seems to be looking much more grim.

That's according to reports from Holmes County District Public Library Director Arlene Radden and Fiscal Officer Paula Cicconetti, who said public library funding for March was $56,540, which is 15 percent less than last March.

Also at the meeting, acknowledging the public need for broadband training, support and awareness in order to promote and ensure sustained adoption of broadband services, agreed to participate in a statewide grant application.

In doing so, the board agreed to commit matching funds of $14,594 to support Connect Ohio's Public Adoption Through Libraries Project, pending grant approval...

dBusinessNews :: Daily Business News Delivered to Your Desktop

COLUMBUS – Today, locating a provider of high-speed Internet service in Ohio just got a lot easier, thanks to a new online interactive application developed in cooperation with the Ohio Department of Administrative Services and more than 70 Ohio broadband providers.

“This important Connect Ohio initiative helps our state to better understand its broadband infrastructure,” said Lisa Patt-McDaniel, director of the Ohio Department of Development. “The mapping tool provides support for our efforts to target investments that will help provide broad­band access to all Ohioans, accelerating real economic development opportunities in areas such as Appalachian Ohio that are currently underserved.”

Connect Ohio’s research shows that more than 205,000 Ohio households still don’t have affordable access to high-speed Internet service at home...

WMFD.com - Ashland County Airport Funding Match On Standby

In other business, the commissioners hired a new information technology director in Jim Storch, who will replace Jeff Beebe. Beebe is stepping down to take a new position as State Operations Director fo Northeast Ohio at Connect Ohio...

Galion Live » Blog Archive » In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb

After the initial flurry of interchanges between Galion City Council members at last night’s meeting, there was some question about just how the evening would go. Almost three hours later, however, Council had come together as a unit to choose a new City Manager in a 6-1 vote.

Acting City Manager Gene Toy shared the following:

Toy is attending an upcoming Connect Ohio meeting, and Toy is anticipating the possibility of good news for Galion in that effort, particularly in light of the city’s fiber-optic ring...

Chalker is new development director

The new economic development director for Adams County says he has a lot to learn. But James Chalker also has a lot of ideas and passion for Adams County.

A few months ago Chalkers attended a meeting of the Connect Ohio group working to provide high-speed internet for Adams County. He joined the citizens' committee, "and the liaison between the group and county commission was Elaine Collins" he pointed out...

Phone company gets $4.3 million in stimulus dollars

A local telephone company was awarded $4.3 million to expand broadband (high-speed) service in the Fort Recovery area. Wabash Mutual Telephone Co. was the largest recipient of the nearly $10 million awarded to three Ohio broadband service providers. The local cooperative company intends to use the funds to provide a fiber optic network for digital television, high-speed Internet and telephone service in the southern portion of the county.

Mercer County commissioners and other top officials in the area have been working the last year with Connect Ohio, a non-profit group hired by the state in December 2007 to promote broadband Internet coverage and utilization in all 88 counties. Periodic meetings have been held in the county to pinpoint needs and develop plans of action...

Logan Daily News - Logan, OH > Archives > News > Connect Ohio launches new broadband mapping tool

HOCKING COUNTY — A new online mapping tool provided by Connect Ohio shows that 5,003 of 10,843 households in Hocking County do not have access to broadband Internet, one of the highest unserved populations in the state.

According to Connect Ohio’s most recent research, nearly 88,000 households in southeast Ohio, and more than 200,000 statewide, still don’t have a provider that offers affordable broadband service to their homes. Only seven counties have a higher unserved population than Hocking County...

Logan Daily News - Logan, OH > News > Connect Ohio launches new broadband mapping tool

HOCKING COUNTY — A new online mapping tool provided by Connect Ohio shows that 5,003 of 10,843 households in Hocking County do not have access to broadband Internet, one of the highest unserved populations in the state.

According to Connect Ohio’s most recent research, nearly 88,000 households in southeast Ohio, and more than 200,000 statewide, still don’t have a provider that offers affordable broadband service to their homes. Only seven counties have a higher unserved population than Hocking County...

Ohio Farmer - Program Helps Find Internet Users

Locating a provider of high-speed Internet service in Ohio has become a lot easier, thanks to a new online interactive application developed in cooperation with the Ohio Department of Administrative Services and more than 70 Ohio broadband providers.

"This important Connect Ohio initiative helps our state to better understand its broadband infrastructure," says Lisa Patt-McDaniel, director of the Ohio Department of Development. "The mapping tool provides support for our efforts to target investments that will help provide broadband access to all Ohioans, accelerating real economic development opportunities in areas such as Appalachian Ohio that are currently underserved."

Connect Ohio's research shows that more than 205,000 Ohio households still don't have affordable access to high-speed Internet service at home.

"Ohio consumers now have the ability to quickly and easily find participating providers that offer broadband service to their homes," says Tom Fritz, Connect Ohio's executive director. "The application will also help broadband providers, Ohio municipalities, and economic development organizations pinpoint exactly which areas should be targeted for broadband expansion," he says. The online tool is now available on Connect Ohio's website...

The Athens NEWS :: Athens, Ohio's only locally-owned newspaper :: Federal stimulus award to bring broadband Internet to thousands

Thanks to a federal broadband stimulus award announced last Thursday, thousands of rural Athens Countians without broadband Internet service will have the opportunity to get it.

The award will expand high-speed Internet availability to some 11,232 households currently unserved or underserved by broadband, in Athens, Pickaway and Fairfield counties, according to a news release from Intelliwave, a wireless Internet service provider (WISP) based in Athens.

In the release, Tom Fritz, executive director of Connect Ohio, applauded the award. “This award illustrates the importance of the data collection and broadband mapping effort that Ohio has undertaken over the past two years as part of Gov. Strickland’s Connect Ohio initiative,” Fritz said...

Federal grants, loans will bring fiber optic cable to Benton Ridge - Mar 06, 2010 -- Courier Electronic Edition - Findlay, Ohio

Higher-speed Internet service will be available in the Benton Ridge area within two years, thanks to $3.1 million in federal grants and loans.

The money will finance extension of fiber optic cable to all 480 homes and the few businesses in the Benton Ridge exchange, Benton Ridge Telephone Co. Chief Executive Officer Ken Williams said.

High-speed Internet has become a necessity for many. Job seekers need it because most large companies and government agencies require people to apply online, said Dave Sweet, spokesman for Connect Ohio, a nonprofit group hired by the state to make high-speed Internet available to more people. College students' financial aid forms are also an example of something completed online...
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Region in race to speed up Internet | cincinnati.com | Cincinnati.Com

Two of the region's largest providers of high-speed Internet may soon join the race for federal stimulus funds to push faster computer access into more Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky homes.

Unlike other parts of the country, the need isn't availability - the region is one of the most wired in the Midwest.

Connect Ohio, an offshoot of the Washington-based nonprofit broadband advocacy group Connected Nation, estimates that increasing broadband adoption in Hamilton, Butler and Warren counties by 7 percent would help create or retain more than 27,000 jobs and increase income by about $440 million. Such a study is under way for Clermont County, but has not been done for Kentucky...

Stimulus funds to help spread broadband across county | lancastereaglegazette.com | Lancaster Eagle Gazette

LANCASTER -- Almost all county residents without broadband Internet access will be given the opportunity to get it within the next two years with the help of federal stimulus funds.

Intelliware, an Athens-based wireless Internet provider, received more than $2.2 million in grants and loans to offer broadband Internet service to about 11,232 households in three counties.

Connect Ohio, a nonprofit organization that works toward extending affordable high-speed internet to every Ohio household, estimates 4,689 homes in the state do not have access to broadband service.

Don Shirley, state operations manager for Connect Ohio, has spoken with residents and business owners seeking high-speed Internet in Fairfield County. He said most would sign up for the service if it were available...

Governor Applauds Rural Broadband Investments in Ohio

Columbus, Ohio--Ohio Governor Ted Strickland today applauded three Ohio broadband projects that will receive more than $9.6 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act loans and grants to expand broadband access to rural Ohioans.

U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the awards today, which are part of a total $254.6 million investment in 22 broadband infrastructure projects nationwide. The projects will give rural residents access to improved economic and educational opportunities.

Connect Ohio, a nonprofit, technology-neutral, public-private partnership that was established by Strickland's Broadband Ohio initiative, assisted these awardees by providing assistance with localized technology plans, maps and research to enable broadband expansion across the state...

Brown Announces Nearly $10 M for Rural Broadband Projects in Ohio

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) announced nearly $10 million in grants and loans to bridge the digital divide and boost economic development for Ohio communities held back by limited or no access to the technology. The award, distributed by the Ohio Department of Commerce was allocated by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009.

"Broadband access is a matter of equal opportunity," Brown said. "Expanding high-speed Internet access is critical to improving the economic competitiveness of Ohio's rural and underserved urban areas. Today's award is a great first step toward achieving our goal of total access."

A 2006 study by MIT found that communities with wide access to broadband experienced faster job growth and new business development. A later report by the Brookings Institution found that for every one percent of increased broadband access, a state could expect 0.2-0.3 percent growth in employment. The median revenue among broadband-connected businesses in Ohio grew twice as fast as those that do not use broadband, according to a study by Connect Ohio...

Ohio’s Intelliwave Receives Federal Broadband Stimulus Funding « WISPA

Athens, Ohio: Thanks to a federal broadband stimulus award announced today, 11,232 households currently unserved or underserved by broadband, in Athens, Pickaway and Fairfield counties, will soon have broadband Internet available. Intelliwave, an Athens Ohio wireless Internet service provider (WISP) received word today from the USDA that they are the recipients of an award totaling $1,116,997 in grant funds and$1,162,599 in loan funds. These funds will be used over the next 36 months to build cutting edge wireless “last mile” Internet infrastructure to residents and businesses of the included counties.

Tom Fritz, executive director of Connect Ohio weighs in as well. “Connect Ohio applauds the award of this funding that will help more than 11,000 unserved households in these three Ohio counties be able to take advantage of all the benefits that high-speed Internet provides,” said Tom Fritz, executive director of Connect Ohio, 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...

Brandt throws hat in ring for Van Wert County commissioner — The Delphos Herald

WILLSHIRE — Van Wert County 9-1-1 Coordinator Kim Brandt has announced her candidacy for Van Wert County commissioner. Brandt has filed a petition to seek the Republican nomination for the seat currently held by Harold Merkle, who is not seeking re-election.

Brandt, 49, has several reasons for seeking the commissioner’s seat, with her main priority to serve the communities of Van Wert County.

As 9-1-1 coordinator for the past 10 years, she has been responsible for the overall day-to-day operations of the service. Her duties include creating the budget, dispatcher training, equipment purchasing and maintenance, as well as coordinating with telephone companies and emergency responders.

Brandt is a member of the Van Wert Optimist Club and is affiliated with the Fraternal Order of Police, Van Wert County Firefighters Association, APCO, Van Wert County Township Association and the Crime Stoppers Board, and Connect Ohio. She is the immediate past president of the Ohio Chapter of National Emergency Number Association, currently serving on its legislative committee...

Not wired at home? You're in shrinking minority in U.S.

In 1997, Bill Clinton was beginning his second term, the Cleveland Indians lost to the Florida Marlins in the World Series, and the newfangled Internet was something you never imagined your mother would ever use.
Only 18 percent of households nationally were hooked up to the Internet, so you probably weren't connecting from home, either.

But by last year, 69 percent of U.S. households were connected to the Internet, the U.S. Census Bureau reported yesterday. That's up from almost 62 percent in 2007, the last time the bureau conducted the survey.About 75 percent of Ohio residents had home Internet service in 2009, up from 70 percent the year before, said Connect Ohio, a state-funded nonprofit group trying to extend high-speed Internet access to all parts of the state...

Ohio Receives $11.7 Million to Expand Broadband Access to 14,000 Ohioans

Columbus, Ohio--Ohio Governor Ted Strickland today announced that the Ohio non-profit OneCommunity has been awarded $11.7 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act resources to expand broadband adoption by more than 14,000 disconnected Ohioans in Cleveland, Akron and several Appalachian counties. "Connect Your Community" will create 58 direct new jobs in Ohio.

OneCommunity has received a total of $18.5 million in ARRA resources for the "Connect Your Community" program, which will also facilitate projects in Florida, Michigan, Mississippi and Kentucky.

In 2008, the Strickland Administration created Connect Ohio, a plan to compile and map broadband availability in Ohio, including location, available speed and type of technology delivering the service.

• In December last year, the State of Ohio was awarded a $1.8 million federal grant from NTIA to help gather broadband availability data to support the development of a National Broadband Map...

Monday briefing | The Columbus Dispatch

COLUMBUS
Online tool helps find broadband providers

Connect Ohio has launched a new online interactive tool that allows Ohio consumers to locate probable providers of high-speed Internet service at their home address.

BroadbandStat also gives economic-development professionals, broadband providers, local governments and Ohio policymakers a way to plan for the expansion of high-speed Internet to serve the 205,000 households that don't have access...

Broadband for all in thee years

The Brown County Connect Ohio committee got a dose of good news and bad news Tuesday. The good news is a new telecommunications company will be bringing broadband service to all areas in Ohio currently served by Verizon phone lines.
The bad news is, the service will not be fully operational until 2013.

Frontier Communications, a telecommunications company from Stamford, Conn., announced plans to purchase all of Verizon's land based phone lines in 14 states in May 2009. As part of their licensing agreement with the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, Frontier is required to make a commitment to bring broadband to their coverage areas in the state, according to Connect Ohio State Operations Manager Don Shirley...

Connected Nation Adds "Voice of American Agriculture" to Chorus for Expanding

The "voice of American agriculture" has joined with Connected Nation to create a new partnership focused on ensuring that rural America maximizes the return on the nation's broadband stimulus investment. Adding to an exhaustive list of partners and advisors, internationally renowned in their respective fields, Connected Nation has partnered with the American Farm Bureau Federation, adding Bob Stallman, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation, to the Connected Nation Board of Directors.

With American Farm Bureau's 6,243,286 farm families and Connected Nation's record of accelerating broadband availability and computer use across the country, the partnership is perfectly positioned to improve America's rural broadband landscape as envisioned in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009...

Connected Nation adds Ohio and Illnois to broadband mapping initiative

Nonprofit organization Connected Nation recently released its interactive broadband mapping platform in its state-based initiatives of Ohio and Illinois.

According to the Washington, D.C.-based organization, BroadbandStat is designed to provide a multi-functional and comprehensive view of broadband in a state as a roadmap for increased high-speed Internet...