Earlier this week AOF and a number of partner organizations testified on behalf of House Bill 13 in the Senate Energy and Public Utilities Committee. House Bill 13 creates the Ohio Residential Broadband Expansion Grant Program to provide $20 million in grant money for internet service providers to build critical infrastructure needed to connect Ohioans who do not have access to broadband.
Today more than 300,000 households in Ohio representing close to 1 million Ohioans lack access to high-speed internet. In some parts of our state, communities have little or no access to the internet because of gaps in or complete absence of digital infrastructure.
Though broadband access was rising in importance before the pandemic, the Coronavirus has turned the internet into a critical lifeline. Over the last eight months, the internet has become the primary way many Ohioans work, go to school, access healthcare, search for employment, seek assistance and connect with friends and family.
Ohio communities and families with limited or no access to high-speed internet now clearly suffer a disadvantage in the classroom and in the workplace, as well as a competitive disadvantage in today’s technology-infused economy. In today’s socially and physically distanced world, the lack of connectivity results in limited opportunities and can impact a person’s wellbeing and quality of life.
Sub HB 13 and the proposed Ohio Residential Broadband Expansion Grant Program is one of the first steps in Ohio’s Broadband Strategy developed by InnovateOhio. We acknowledge where this bill started and are pleased that additional funding is now included to make the grant program $20 million. Though the need is much larger and many more resources are required to connect all Ohioans, this bill will connect families to this vital resource.
In addition, AOF would like to emphasize the overall vision of Ohio’s Broadband Strategy is to bring high speed internet access to every Ohioan by focusing on improving access for two groups: the unserved and underserved. While Sub HB 13 would expand broadband infrastructure, that alone does not guarantee high-speed internet access if the cost of access is unaffordable or existing infrastructure is severely neglected and outdated.
For many Ohioans, the main barrier to broadband access is not geography, but cost. In the city of Cleveland, 27% of households had no internet access of any kind (including smartphones) according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Similar large shares of the populations in Toledo, Dayton, Lorain, and Youngstown are unconnected and under-connected. The monthly bill for home high speed internet connection in most Ohio communities is now at least $60 to $70 per month—an amount too great for many families already struggling to pay rent and keep food on the table.
Though addressing affordability is not the intent of Sub. HB 13, we urge the committee to consider ways to help low-income families from around the state afford high-speed internet access and incentivize internet service providers to update and improve their networks in low-income areas to increase opportunities for both families and businesses.
Read our full comments HERE