Digital Ohio

Appalachian Broadband Project

The Appalachia Broadband initiative is a two-year program to evaluate and coordinate the process for growing the access to high-speed Internet access in the underserved areas of the Ohio Appalachian region. The project is intended to help grow the economic development of that area by working to level the playing field for businesses through improved access to the Internet. Just getting underway, this program is targeted at working to solve one of the infrastructural challenges the Appalachian region faces.

The idea behind the Appalachia Broadband initiative was born of a report issued by the former Technology Policy Group that evaluated the possibility of leveraging networks created to support the state’s Multi-Agency Radio Communication System (MARCS). That report showed potential to leverage state infrastructure to expand Internet access within rural Ohio. OIT manages the operation of the MARCS program and has partnered with the Governor’s Office of Appalachia to initiate the Appalachia Broadband initiative.

The objective of the Appalachia Broadband initiative is two-fold:

• First, to work with the region’s businesses and community leaders to help create a greater understanding of the economic capabilities and opportunities high-speed access can create for the region.

• Second, to work with the local providers of high speed Internet access to increase availability, but when private providers are unavailable, evaluate the potential to leverage state infrastructure to meet the demand.