By Amanda Murphy The TechColumbus Innovation Awards celebrate the spirit of innovation by recognizing outstanding technology achievements in Central Ohio. Connect Ohio has been selected as a Semi-Finalist in the Innovation in Non-profit Service Delivery category. “It is an honor to be a Semi-Finalist for this award and to be recognized for our innovations in the delivery of the Every …

By COH Staff We’re excited to share that today, the Governor’s Office of Appalachia in conjunction with Connect Ohio and Chesapeake Energy, announced the launch of the Connect Appalachia Broadband Initiative to address the broadband divide facing rural Appalachia. The Connect Appalachia Broadband Initiative will be run by a task force made up of state and local stakeholders, both public …

By COH Staff After awarding laptops to the 12 winners of the Every Citizen Online (ECO) computer give-away, a follow up was in order to see what the computer winners are doing now. We checked in with one computer winner, Sharon Kiener, to see what she is able to do now that she has her own laptop computer. Kiener says …

By Lyndsey Kleven There are many age-appropriate searches seniors are conducting online such as leisure travel pursuits, personal health-care issues, and dealing with financial concerns. One resource seniors may be less familiar with is accessing their Social Security and Medicare benefits online. For starters, turning to the Internet to access Social Security information saves a lot of time and money. …

By Lyndsey Kleven Gaining access to high-speed Internet can be a game changer for small business. This situation is true for Jerry Smith, owner of Anvils and Ink Studios in Belmont County, where he hand crafts fine art and jewelry, metal sculptures, leather goods, and other custom pieces. “Shortly before Smith became a customer of GMN, Connect Ohio worked in …

By Lyndsey Kleven The assumption that many people have about senior citizens being technologically disconnected would be incorrect. The percentage of senior citizens, 65 or older, who are online in Ohio may seem low with only 37% subscribing to home broadband Internet service, but this number is continuing to grow at a steady pace. Since 2008, this number has increased …

By Lyndsey Kleven The rise of Internet usage over the past years has also seen an increase in senior citizen’s getting online. The Connect Ohio Residential Technology Assessment Results have shown over the past three years, that broadband adoption among seniors has increased 42%, as has computer ownership for this group, increasing by 26%. When it comes to computer ownership, …

By COH Staff WaveLinc broadband provider has recently collaborated with Liberty Township Fire Department to expanded high-speed Internet access to homes and businesses in Crawford County, through a recent expansion tower. According to fire chief- Rick Harley, the Liberty Township Fire Department was looking to build a communication tower for the fire station, which has always been in a “dead …

By COH Staff After being fed up with limited Internet provider options, Kevin King stumbled upon the Connect Ohio website where he found information about the Broadband Inquiry process. The options of having dial up internet, or service through a 3G cellular service provider were available, but King was looking to get high-speed wireless broadband service. King searched his home …

By COH Staff Today, the FCC announced a major national public-private broadband adoption initiative called “Connect to Compete” aimed at boosting digital literacy, skills training, and job creation. The program, which includes a dozen private and nonprofit partners and includes Connect Ohio’s parent organization Connected Nation, was announced today by FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski. Components of the program include a …