Billions have been spent on rural broadband,
yet reliable service remains out of reach for millions.
BROADBAND ACCESS FOR TODAY AND TOMORROW
Our region’s economic, educational, and cultural well being depend on everyone having access to affordable high-speed internet. Government broadband expansion programs must replace outdated rural infrastructure with technology that can meet the needs of today and the demands of the next 30 years.
75% of the region is unserved
One third of households in Appalachian Ohio do have access to FCC minimum broadband speeds of 25/3 Mbps, and three quarters of the region’s populated area is unserved.
It will cost approximately $2.1 billion to bring fiber optic broadband to every unserved household in the region. Internet providers will need close to $1.6 billion in government subsidy for this to be economically sustainable.
To put this in perspective, $2 billion is what it would cost to build just 100 miles of highway. In our post-pandemic economy, digital highways are just as important as asphalt and concrete.
Now is the time to advocate for a broadband solution that will serve everyone in our region, not just today but for the next 40 years.