Lt. Governor Jon Husted, Director of InnovateOhio, on October 4 was joined by Lydia Mihalik, Director of the Ohio Department of Development, Washington County Commissioners, Fairfield Township Trustees, representatives from the Southeast Ohio Broadband Cooperative (SEOBC) and local residents in Cutler to announce a new pilot project that will expand broadband in the area to hundreds of households using local, state-owned MARCS towers.
The innovative project builds upon the goal of BroadbandOhio by enhancing and expanding high-speed internet access to unserved and underserved Ohioans, particularly those in the Appalachia region of the state, by creatively leveraging state assets.
“BroadbandOhio worked with the Southeast Ohio Broadband Cooperative and local leaders to creatively use existing infrastructure to expand high-speed internet at an affordable rate for people who need it,” said Lt. Governor Husted. “Through this partnership, these state-owned MARCS towers can connect hundreds of households in Washington County to broadband.”
“Today is a great day for Washington County residents as Governor DeWine and Lt. Governor Husted continue to deliver on their commitment to expand broadband access in Ohio,” said Lydia Mihalik, director of the Ohio Department of Development. “Through collaboration with local leaders and industry partners, we were able to identify and leverage existing resources that enabled us to find the right solution for the community.”
Multi-Agency Radio Communications System towers, also known as MARCS towers, are part of a statewide, wireless, digital communication network that allows emergency and law enforcement personnel to communicate instantly during emergencies. The Southeast Ohio Broadband Cooperative has been granted access to use these MARCS towers, which will broadcast a signal out to hundreds of previously unserved homes in range. Additionally, because of this project, an additional 130 households will be able to maintain coverage after a local internet service provider was going to stop providing internet service to the area.
“Connecting folks in the Cutler area today with our broadband services and being able to provide them with internet access at this Community Center, is exactly why we started this Cooperative,” said Peggy Bailey, Marketing and Administrative Member at the Southeast Ohio Broadband Cooperative.
The announcement was held at the Cutler Community Center in front of the local MARCS tower. The community center provides residents of the area with a location to access broadband for free while in-home services are implemented.
“Today represents multiple governmental entities working together, for the benefit of the people that we serve,” said Washington County Commissioner James Booth. “The Washington County Board of Commissioners is proud to be a good partner to the Governor’s office in the initiative to provide broadband access, to not only everyone here in Washington County, but in all of Southeast Ohio.”
The project was made possible through collaboration between BroadbandOhio, the Ohio Department of Administrative Services (DAS), and the Ohio Department of Development. MARCS towers, which help emergency responders communicate in a crisis, were purchased with tax-exempt bonds, limiting the ability for private companies to co-locate equipment on the tower. However, DAS was able to convert these into taxable bonds, thereby eliminating this restriction.
The launch represents another broadband expansion project that builds upon the DeWine-Husted Administration’s efforts to expand and enhance broadband connectivity for businesses and families throughout Ohio.