Ribbon Cutting Event Celebrates Internet Deployment for Carroll County

Completed Expansion Project will Give Broadband Access to Thousands of Unserved and Underserved Ohioans

For Immediate Release                                                                                               Contact: Lyndsey Kleven

March 1, 2013                                                                                                 614-313-6951 or lkleven@connectohio.org

CARROLLTON – Carroll County Commissioners, Governor’s office of Appalachia representatives, representatives from Agile Networks and CUE Band, along with members of the Connect Appalachia Broadband Task Force and Connect Ohio held a ceremonious ribbon-cutting event Thursday in Sherrodsville. The event celebrated the initial deployment of countywide broadband access to the many unserved and underserved homes and businesses throughout Carroll County.

"The Governor’s Office of Appalachia is honored to be a part of the partnerships that will bring broadband access to many homes and businesses in Carroll County,” said Jason Wilson, director of the Governor’s Office of Appalachia. “Broadband access is an essential part of day-to-day business activities and provides our students with access to countless educational opportunities. This is another milestone in our commitment to improving broadband access in Appalachia and improving the quality of life for our residents."

The Agile Networks and CUE Band broadband service deployment is helping to bridge an existing digital divide for Carroll County residents. Research from Connect Ohio’s Carroll County technology profile shows that there are currently more than 2,500 unserved residents in the area that do not have access to high-speed Internet.

“The residents and businesses of Carroll County have been unserved by high-speed Internet for too long, and deserve the opportunity to high-speed access,” said Tom Wheaton, county commissioner of Carroll County. “Deployment of countywide high-speed Internet access will help people to work at home, small businesses, especially Carroll County’s farmers and agriculture, to make better business decisions and build economic development. This couldn’t come at a better time with all that is happening with oil and gas in the county. Service is needed as the population is growing to keep Carroll County from falling behind the rest of the world.”

Equipment has already been deployed in the Dellroy and Carrollton areas, connecting residents to wireless high-speed Internet. The initial deployment will reach more than 4,000 residents and businesses countywide.

“Lack of access is the immovable barrier to adoption, which we started to overcome in Carroll today, but we can’t stop there,” said Stu Johnson, executive director of Connect Ohio. “According to our extensive 2012 Residential Technology Survey, Ohio surged to a 71% adoption rate, well above the national adoption rate of 66%. With that, rural Appalachia Ohioans were the only demographic to show a decline in adoption. Barriers to adoption are the same in Appalachia as they are around the world, with lack of digital literacy as the same issue. Connect Ohio has partnered with Goodwill and Carroll County Jobs and Family Services to offer free computer training classes. After completion of the training, participants are eligible to receive discounts toward computer purchases.”   

Connect Ohio has partnered with Goodwill Industries of Greater Cleveland and East Central Ohio and Carroll County Jobs and Family Services to offer Every Citizen Online free basic computer training in Carroll County to encourage adoption and illustrate how broadband can be helpful in daily life.

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Connect Ohio, a division of Connected Nation, is a leading technology organization committed to bringing affordable high-speed Internet and broadband-enabled resources to all Ohioans. Connect Ohio effectively raises the awareness of the value of broadband and works to improve technology access, adoption, and use through its programs. Connect Ohio is a nonprofit, technology-neutral public-private partnership. For more information about what Connect Ohio is doing to accelerate technology in Ohio's communities, visit http://www.connectohio.org. Follow Connect Ohio on Facebook and Twitter.