TESt

Rural Appalachian Ohio faces a significant barrier to the opportunities that the Internet brings due to connectivity and adoption gaps. In its recent Connect Ohio report, Technology Barriers and Adoption in Rural Appalachian Ohio, it was found that 531,000 adults in rural Appalachia do not have home broadband – 124,000 reported that service is either unavailable, or the speeds are insufficient in meeting their needs. 

The Governor’s Office of Appalachia, housed within the Ohio Department of Development, is establishing the Appalachia Broadband Task Force to immediately begin addressing the broadband gap in rural Appalachia. It will work to address availability gaps, provide more access to broadband by private partners, and increase broadband adoption and digital literacy through Connect Ohio’s Every Citizen Online program.