A newly updated broadband study reveals that 55% of households and 87% of populated acres in the eight-county Buckeye Hills region do not have access to FCC minimum internet speeds of 25 Mbps down/3 Mbps up.
The study, conducted on behalf of the Buckeye Hills Regional Council (BHRC) and Connecting Appalachia by Reid Consulting Group, looks at broadband in Athens, Hocking, Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Noble, Perry, and Washington counties. Each county’s profile shows where existing broadband coverage is lacking, where businesses and homes are located, how many miles of fiber-optic cable are needed to reach those businesses and homes, and the total cost and grant funding needed to install that cable.
“We wanted to go beyond just saying there is a problem,” said BHRC Broadband Coordinator Ryan Collins. “We also wanted to show what it will take to fix the problem.”
The study estimates it will cost $571 million to install fiber-to-the-home in the region with $439 million in grant funding needed. Tom Reid, President of Reid Consulting Group, notes this is what it would cost to build just 40 miles of highway. “The state has built a lot more than 40 miles of highway,” Reid said. “It’s time to invest in digital highways.”
Detailed county broadband profiles are available for public download at connectingappalachia.org/mapping.