Agreement Will Provide Broadband Access to 1200+ Households in Southern Ohio

A recent lease agreement between JB Nets and Gallia County officials for the use of three county-owned towers will provide high-speed Internet access to more than a thousand homes in rural parts of the county.

JB Nets presented a broadband expansion business plan, which included Google Earth mapping of propagation studies and a business case analysis template designed by Connect Ohio, to Gallia County officials just over a week ago. According to Jake Kline, owner of JB Nets, the plan includes high-speed Internet coverage to 80% of the county within the next three years and the creation of at least two, but possibly three, full-time jobs.

“These three initial towers should be able to expand (Internet coverage) to 450-500 households,” said Kline. “However, our proposal also included 30 additional secondary towers to fill in gaps. We estimate approximately 1,200-1,400 total additional households that could receive service from us with all 33 towers constructed.”

Gallia County officials accepted the proposal and have signed lease agreements with JB Nets for the use of the three 911 communications towers, located in Gallipolis Township, Harrison Township, and Ohio Township.

“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.

“The information Connect Ohio provided us was very useful in putting together our business plan/proposal,” said Kline.

According to Connect Ohio’s 2011 Residential Technology Assessment for Gallia County, only 42% of households receive broadband service to the home, significantly less than the state average of 66%.

Other Gallia County technology figures:

• Sixty-seven percent of Gallia County residents own a computer, which is less than the state average of 80% 
• Of the 33% of residents who do not own a computer, 71% claim they do not need a computer, 21% say computers are too complicated, and 20% say computers are too expensive 
• Seventy-five percent of residents access the Internet from home or some other location 
• The average monthly cost for home broadband service in Gallia County is $50.83, above the state average of $43.41 

For more information on JB Nets, visit http://jbnets.net.

Additional Gallia County technology research can be found at http://connectohio.org/_documents/Technology_Assessment_Gallia_County_2011.pdf.

Two Connect Ohio Employees Support Local United Way Through Music

Photo by Coshocton Tribune

For the second year, the musical duo Point Blank Range, comprised of Connect Ohio’s Bart Winegar and Brad Fuller, provided the entertainment for Coshocton’s United Way kick-off event, Taste of Coshocton County, Thursday evening.

The event draws a crowd of 500 anticipating delicious food tastings from local restaurants and caterers while raising money for local charities. Attendees receive 10 tastes for $10, and then vote on their favorite food establishment involved in the event.

Winegar and Fuller shared their musical talents with attendees, offering an eclectic mix of pop, classic rock, and blues for the two-hour event.

“We both have been involved with the local United Way in one form or another for decades because it supports many critical local programs,” said Winegar, technical outreach manager for Connect Ohio. “We are very pleased to volunteer our time and talents for such an important and far-reaching cause.”

“The United Way serves 21 organizations in Coshocton County,” said Fuller, state operations manager for Connect Ohio. “I have always believed that it is important to give back to the community that gave so much to me as I was growing up. The United Way is a perfect way to do that.”

To view more photos and a news article about the event from the Coshocton Tribune, click here.

Connect Ohio Shares Broadband Insight with Congressman Latta's Staff

Connect Ohio staff had the opportunity to discuss broadband in Ohio with Bethany Peck, senior legislative assistant for Congressman Robert Latta (5th District, Ohio), Tuesday.

Congressman Latta is a member of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology. Peck handles telecommunication policy for Congressman Latta and came to Connect Ohio exploring first-hand perspectives on broadband availability throughout the state, existing barriers to expansion, and what the National Broadband Plan can mean for Ohio and beyond.

Connect Ohio Technical Outreach Manager Bart Winegar gave Peck an overview of Connect Ohio’s interactive resource BroadbandStat, which shows by address what households have broadband access and those that are still unserved (according to data gathered from more than 100 broadband providers throughout Ohio). Existing barriers to broadband service in rural areas and approaches to overcoming those barriers were discussed, as well as Connect Ohio’s customized propagation studies and business case analyses available to Ohio communities engaged in finding last-mile broadband connectivity.

“I’m extremely impressed to find Connect Ohio going to every effort to help ensure broadband expansion throughout the state,” said Peck. “The organization’s reporting, county profiles, and online resources are very helpful to us.”

High-speed Internet availability’s affect on economic development was also a key topic of the meeting. Peck was happy to hear of the Every Citizen Online free basic computer and Internet training for Ohio adults and how the program is complementing broadband expansion efforts.

“I really enjoyed meeting with Bethany (Peck) and am happy she found Connect Ohio’s programs beneficial to not only Ohioans, but to Congressman Latta’s staff and possibly the communications and technology subcommittee,” said Winegar.

For information on Congressman Latta, visit http://latta.house.gov/.
To find out more about the Energy and Commerce subcommittee on Communications and Technology, visit http://republicans.energycommerce.house.gov/subcomms/subcommittees.shtml.