BroadbandOhio has announced a statewide stakeholder outreach effort that will support updates to the Ohio Broadband Strategy and the development of a comprehensive plan to leverage federal funding to close the digital divide.
BroadbandOhio was awarded $5 million by the U.S. Department of Commerce to conduct stakeholder outreach as a first step towards receiving full allocation of federal funds through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act’s Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program and Digital Equity Act.
Beginning March 16, 2023, BroadbandOhio will conduct a series of in-person listening sessions and live webinars in communities across Ohio. All Ohio residents, businesses, internet service providers, government entities and nonprofit-community-based organizations are encouraged to participate.
BroadbandOhio is especially interested in hearing from unserved and underrepresented populations, including:
- Low-income individuals
- People with disabilities
- Older Ohioans
- People with language barriers
- Incarcerated individuals
- Racial and ethnic minorities
- Veterans
- People living in rural areas
Upcoming listening sessions near Southeast Ohio are scheduled on the following dates:
March 21
University of Rio Grande, Bob Evans Farms Hall
65 Bevo Francis Way, Rio Grande, Ohio 45674
- 10:30 a.m. – Businesses and Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
- 1 p.m. – Local Government
- 2:30 p.m. – Nonprofits and Community Organizations
- 4 p.m. – Ohio Residents
March 23 – POSTPONED
Guernsey County District Public Library – Crossroads Branch
63500 Byesville Rd., Cambridge, Ohio 43725
- 9:30 a.m. – Businesses and Internet Service Providers
- 11 a.m. – Local Government
- 1:15 p.m. – Nonprofits and Community Organizations
March 23 – POSTPONED
Cambridge Performing Arts Center
642 Wheeling Ave., Cambridge, Ohio 43725
- 4 p.m. – Ohio Residents
Additionally, Broadband Ohio has scheduled the following online listening sessions:
- March 17, 10:00-11:00 a.m.: Local Government Entities
- March 28, 4:00-5:00 p.m. and April 12, 4:00-5:00 p.m.: Ohio Residents
- April 5, 2:00-3:00 p.m.: Nonprofits and Community Organizations
Online registration is available at broadband.ohio.gov.
“We are excited to partner with Broadband Ohio in an effort to bridge the digital divide,” said Ryan Collins, Program Manager at Buckeye Hills Regional Council. “These listening sessions are an opportunity to ensure that our community members’ voices are heard and that their needs are reflected in the State’s planning efforts.”
The BEAD program provides $42.45 billion to all 50 states and U.S. territories to fund planning, infrastructure, deployment, and adoption programs for expanding broadband connectivity throughout the next five years.
The Digital Equity Act provides $2.75 billion to establish three grant programs aimed at promoting digital opportunity – ensuring all people and communities have the skills, technology, and capacity to fully participate in the modern world. These three programs are:
- State Digital Equity Planning Grant Program, a $60 million grant for states and U.S. territories to develop digital opportunity plans.
- State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program, a $1.44 billion, five-year grant for states and U.S. territories that supports the development of digital opportunity plans and the implementation of related projects.
- Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program, a $1.25 billion, five-year program funding annual grants aimed at implementing digital opportunity projects.