Getting Rural Ohio Plugged In

Residents of Ohio are clamoring for universal high speed internet access in their state. Fortunately, they've got a Congressman who's listening. U.S. Rep. Zack Space (D-Dover) is one of Congress's most vocal advocates for advanced technology, and he's leading the effort to bring high speed internet to his state's rural communities. As Space said,

"Just as railroads in the 19th century and our interstate system in the 1950s represented revolutionary breakthroughs in transportation infrastructure, broadband represents the breakthrough for our generation. We absolutely need wider access to broadband in order to attract new industries and jobs."

In order to move toward that goal, Space held two summits that brought together local leaders, telecom industry representatives, concerned citizens, and aides to the Ohio Governor Ted Strickland and U.S. Senators Sherrod Brown and George Voinovich.

The focus of the discussion was expanding high speed internet access in Southern Ohio, where the topography and rural nature make high speed coverage spotty at best. Space acknowledged the challenges such an effort will face:

"Connecting Appalachia is not going to be easy. But, together, we have to be willing to demonstrate commitment and dedication. We have to be innovative in creating public and private partnerships, and we have to help our municipalities get the resources they need."

Space said that he'd start overcoming the problem by implementing a comprehensive mapping system to determine exactly which communities lack access. Estimates given at the summit put the price tag of expanding high speed internet access to every Ohio county at $110 million.

It's a hefty sum, but the long-term economic benefits would surely make it a worthwhile investment.

The Ohio University Post recently ran a two-part series highlighting the extent of the digital divide, and the toll it's taking on the economy in rural Ohio.

The articles contained a very good description of the elements of the digital divide:

First, many places lack the physical infrastructure that makes Internet access possible, such as cables and wires, or access to high-speed broadband connections. Second, the high cost of broadband connections, especially in rural areas like Athens County, makes the Internet unaffordable for low- or fixed-income households. And third, a skills gap exists between those who have the education and experience of using the Internet and those who don’t.

Because they can't access high speed internet, rural Ohioans are getting left behind. As technology consultant David Matusoff said,

"Communities that don’t have access to broadband don’t have access to the 21st century. On a personal level, on an educational level, and on a professional level, so much is done over the network today. And you cannot support those applications without access to broadband services."

High speed internet is especially important for small businesses located low-population regions like the Appalachia in Ohio. It greatly expands their customer base, allowing them to market and sell their products and services to people all around the world, rather than just around the block.

Jenny Anderson, owner of gift basket and floral service, has used high speed internet to grow her business:

"The Internet presence is critical to us because our customers are from far away and want to know that there is somebody here that cares, does custom work and has attention to detail,” she said. “The percentage of business that we get from the Internet is very high, and we get repeats from those orders."

Indeed, in the past few years, high speed internet has become an essential component of just about any successful business. As Appalachia-based business consultant Angie Cantrell puts it,

"Having access to high-speed Internet is just part of the utility package now. It is not just a bell and whistle. It is something that you have to have as a baseline foundation for businesses."

Now it's time we helped rural America catch up.

Space to hold broadband summit (Times-Reporter)

Broadband summit held (Vinton County Courier)

Lack of broadband Internet access creates digital divide in communities (Ohio University Post)

Slow Internet speed negatively affects entrepreneurs in rural areas (Ohio University Post)