By COH Staff It seems that everyone today uses a cell phone as their main means of transportable communication. So it does not come as a surprise that the Connect Ohio Residential Technology Assessment finds that 80% of Ohio Residents own a cellular phone. Now with the adaptation of smart phones, these devices can be used for much more than …

By COH Staff Connect Ohio has named Wadsworth Public Library an Every Citizen Online (ECO) All-Star Facility. Mohamed Ragheb, WPL, and Jeff Beebe, Connect Ohio The ECO All-Star Facility award was presented to Mohamed Ragheb, technology manager and ECO program coordinator for the library, during Connect Ohio’s quarterly Technology Association Meeting breakout lunch session held in Columbus September 30, 2011. …

By COH Staff Throughout the month ofJuly, Connect Ohio staff was busy coordinating computer distribution eventsthroughout the state following the Every Citizen Online (ECO) computergiveaway. The giveaway entry period was between April 5 and June 20, 2011. ECOparticipants who completed an online survey following the free basic computerand Internet training were entered into a random drawing for one of 12 …

By COH Staff Today, a main source for finding information about a business is to search for their website or online presence. It is shocking to think that many businesses are still not online. According to Google, 97 percent of Americans go to the Internet to look for local products and services.Connect Ohio’s 2011 Broadband and Business Assessment reveals two-thirds …

By COH Staff A recent lease agreement between JB Nets and Gallia County officials for the use of three county-owned towers will provide high-speed Internet access to more than a thousand homes in rural parts of the county. JB Nets presented a broadband expansion business plan, which included Google Earth mapping of propagation studies and a business case analysis template …

By COH Staff On Tuesday, Connect Ohio staff participated in United Way of Central Ohio’s 2011 Community Care Day by assisting in yard work and landscape beautification at Alvis House’s Administration Office. Alvis House provides programs and services for individuals transitioning from being involved in the criminal justice system to re-entering the community. Alvis House also works with the families …

By COH Staff Ohio families with students enrolled in the free lunch program may be eligible to receive high-speed Internet services at a significant discount. Comcast, an Internet provider, is hosting an initiative called Internet Essentials in which households with at least one child receiving free school lunches through the National School Lunch Program can receive high-speed Internet services at …

By COH Staff Photo by Coshocton Tribune For the second year, the musical duo Point Blank Range, comprised of Connect Ohio’s Bart Winegar and Brad Fuller, provided the entertainment for Coshocton’s United Way kick-off event, Taste of Coshocton County, Thursday evening. The event draws a crowd of 500 anticipating delicious food tastings from local restaurants and caterers while raising money …

By COH Staff Earlier this week, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development announced more than $100 million in Community Connect grant funds were being awarded for 23 broadband projects throughout the country. The Community Connect program provides funding for broadband access to residents in remote areas and low-income communities. Crystal Broadband Networks, Inc., a broadband provider based …

By COH Staff Crystal Broadband Networks, Inc. today received a $570,800 grant from the US Department of Agriculture for a broadband project in Stafford Village. The grant is part of the Community Connect program, which provides grants to rural, economically challenged communities. More than $100 million in Community Connect funding was announced today. “Without broadband, rural communities, agricultural producers, and …