It’s time to close the digital divide in Ohio.
Take Action, Ohio
Now, more than ever, Americans rely on access to the high-quality internet service that has made U.S. broadband a global leader in terms of investment, availability, relevance, and readiness. And according to 2021 data from Pew Research Center, 93% of American adults use the internet – an increase of nearly 80% since 2000. In Ohio, the trends match or exceed the national average.
According to BroadbandNow:
The vast majority of Ohioans have high-quality providers available – in fact, BroadbandNow says 95.2% of Ohio residents have access to a wired connection with speeds of 25 Mbps or faster. And 94.3% of people have access to 100 Mbps broadband.
Eligible low-income families can now access this high-quality internet for free with the federal broadband benefit available through the Affordable Connectivity Program.
Yet too many Ohio families remain unconnected – particularly in those areas of our community that have historically been under-resourced.
Adoption-related issues like income and digital literacy – not a lack of access to broadband – are driving Ohio’s digital divide.
Innovation Ohio Education Fund Broadband Report, 2022
Unfortunately, some Ohio communities are considering plans to build and operate government-owned broadband networks despite the fact that these networks have a very poor track-record in Ohio, and usually do not connect families in under-resourced areas that need help the most. Some examples include:
FairlawnGig: This network has had a troubled financial history from the onset. In fact, FairlawnGig has experienced operating losses every year of its existence, totaling nearly $4 million between 2016 and 2020. These losses forced the City of Fairlawn to provide additional support to the network with annual transfers from its general fund, saddling local taxpayers with significant debt and diverting funds from other priorities.
Hudson Velocity: The City of Hudson drastically scaled back its government-owned network due to poor financial results. According to recent data, the network has approximately 400 customers in a city of 22,000 people.
Medina County Fiber Network: This network started in 2013, claiming it would be “self-sustaining by 2018.” But as of 2020, the network was still not profitable.
Lebanon Telecom: After racking up a debt of more than $10 million, Lebanon sold their broadband system to a private company incurring more than $1 million in losses to local taxpayers.
That’s why the Alliance for Quality Broadband is advocating for real solutions to address the digital divide comprehensively — encouraging investment in broadband deployment to reach every unserved area and supporting effective adoption programs addressing barriers that prevent people from subscribing to internet service.
SUMMIT COUNTY, OH
We’re fighting for the right solutions to close the right gaps within Summit communities.
COLUMBUS, OH
We’re fighting for the right solutions to close the right gaps within the Columbus community.
CLEVELAND, OH
We’re fighting for the right solutions to close the right gaps within the Cleveland community.
What We Are Fighting For
The Alliance for Quality Broadband understands that reliably connecting all Americans requires solutions that holistically address the digital divide. We are working to connect more Americans by:
Encouraging focused investment in broadband deployment to reach the unserved
Promoting meaningful digital literacy, affordability, and adoption programs
Protecting taxpayers from risky investments and crippling debt made at the expense of more pressing local needs
Partnering with proven providers to deliver critically-needed technology and connectivity
Ensuring the proper use of federal infrastructure funding to target taxpayer funds to where it is needed most
We Need Your Help:
Sign our petition to encourage your local elected leaders to deploy the right solutions and close the right gaps to connect our communities the right way!
Meet Our Coalition Partners
