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...