It’s time to finally close the digital divide in Summit County
Take Action, Summit County
New federal funding gives us the resources to address the problems confronting our communities in Summit County, including housing needs, public safety, and transportation.
Unfortunately, some communities are considering plans to build and operate their own duplicative internet networks, which would take years to develop and deploy, and needlessly saddle taxpayers with tens of millions of dollars in unnecessary costs. These efforts will implement the wrong “solution,” likely leaving those who need help most still unconnected.
At the center of these plans is FairlawnGig, a city-owned broadband network that has saddled taxpayers in Fairlawn with millions of dollars of debt due to operating losses in every year of its existence.
And perhaps more problematic, Fairlawn’s broadband consultant, hired to help city leaders determine the best path to take regarding broadband expansion in the city, warned city leaders that they should expect these financial losses BEFORE the city-owned broadband network was launched. Some facts about FairlawnGig:
In a 2016 report, the city’s broadband consultant told city leaders that a city-run broadband network “could never get to net positive income” and the network would be a drain on taxpayers for years to come.
City leaders ignored these warnings leading to taxpayer losses totaling nearly $4 million between 2016 and 2020.
FairlawnGig’s operating results have even underperformed the dire forecast made by the city’s consultant. As of the most recently reported results (2020):
The city-owned broadband network has gained far fewer customers than was predicted.
Annual revenue has been much lower than was predicted.
Operating expenses have been significantly higher than was predicted.
Now, county leaders are trying to bring FairlawnGig’s disastrous track record to other cities in Summit County. FairlawnGig needs more money from taxpayers to bail itself out of debt. That’s why they are pushing so hard for the county and its communities to shift tax dollars.
“[Government-owned networks] can suffer from unanticipated costs and delays, resulting in additional debt to the taxpayer.”
Innovation Ohio Education Fund Broadband Report, 2022
Protect Your Community from Higher Taxes to Bailout FairlawnGig!
Don’t let FairlawnGig’s disastrous plans burden your community.
Akron
Barberton
Tallmadge
Cuyahoga Falls
In an era of economic uncertainty, record inflation, and higher tax rates, Summit County residents need to be protected by their elected leaders, not saddled with debt for years to come. We don’t need to bring these types of troubled financial records into more Summit County communities!
Summit County deserves better.
Take action by sending a letter to your community leaders, urging them to invest available funding the right way!
The fact is our community has significant connectivity resources available today:
BroadbandNow reports that nearly 100% of Summit County residents have access to internet coverage with speeds up to 100 Mbps.
Eligible low-income families can now access this high-quality internet for free with the federal broadband benefit available through the Affordable Connectivity Program.
Ohio communities would benefit from promoting the Affordable Connectivity Program, not pursuing a government-owned network.
Innovation Ohio Education Fund Broadband Report, 2022
Local, high-quality, broadband coverage is already widely available, and Summit County has more pressing needs related to infrastructure – improving roads and bridges, ensuring safe drinking water for our children, and prioritizing community safety.