Federal stimulus award to bring broadband Internet to thousands

Thanks to a federal broadband stimulus award announced last Thursday, thousands of rural Athens Countians without broadband Internet service will have the opportunity to get it.

The award will expand high-speed Internet availability to some 11,232 households currently unserved or underserved by broadband, in Athens, Pickaway and Fairfield counties, according to a news release from Intelliwave, a wireless Internet service provider (WISP) based in Athens.

The release reported that Intelliwave received word Thursday from the U.S. Department of Agriculture that the company is receiving $1,116,997 in grant funds and $1,162,599 in loan funds. These funds will be used over the next 36 months "to build cutting-edge wireless "last-mile" Internet infrastructure to residents and businesses in the included counties.

The areas in Athens County that will receive the service, Chris Cooper, managing partner of Intelliwave said Sunday, are east of the city of Athens. All are currently unserved by broadband service. Asked about how widespread the service will be, Cooper stated, "If it's in the service area, we will cover it."

He said that while some of the towns in the coverage area already have broadband service, this will expand service to such unserved areas as Lottridge, Shade and Sharpsburg and rural areas in between. The service should be available in less than two years, he added.

In the prepared release, Cooper said, "Today's announcement is a victory for the people of southeast Ohio. More than 11,000 households and businesses in the region will now have access to affordable broadband Internet service. This award represents true economic stimulus for the region."

Cooper noted that the award will enable his company to offer "high-quality technical job opportunities for residents here." In addition, he said, "we will expand economic opportunities within the communities that will now have access to lower-cost, higher-speed Internet service." On Sunday, he said the typical cost will be $34.95 per month.

According to the release, Intelliwave provides broadband Internet service to households and businesses in southeast Ohio who have limited access to high-speed Internet choices found in urban areas.

"Our seven-year track record of bringing broadband to the underserved populations of rural Ohio was a key to our success in receiving this award," Cooper said in the release.

Approximately 2,200 applications were submitted nationwide for the opportunity to receive a part of the $7.2 billion made available by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 for the purpose of bringing broadband to populations in the United States underserved by broadband.

Cooper noted that many of the applications came from much larger companies than Intelliwave, which has just six employees. He termed the award as a "David and Goliath story" and "a great win for small business."

In the release, Tom Fritz, executive director of Connect Ohio, applauded the award. "This award illustrates the importance of the data collection and broadband mapping effort that Ohio has undertaken over the past two years as part of Gov. Strickland's Connect Ohio initiative," Fritz said.

Connect Ohio was established in December, 2007 by Governor Strickland to map broadband availability and work with local communities to expand access to high-speed Internet services across the State of Ohio.

Cooper said that in determining what areas to serve, Intelliwave just followed the recommendations of community strategy groups formed in connection with Connect Ohio.