Attracting jobs with high-speed connectivity
JACKSON TWP. —
A faster Internet network could attract more jobs and make services more efficient, officials say.
Roughly 50 officials from the public and private sector attended a countywide summit on broadband connectivity Friday at Stark State College of Technology.
OneCommunity, a nonprofit open network provider, has been awarded a $45 million stimulus grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce to expand its community broadband network. The Cleveland-based group plans to install about 100 miles of fiber-optic cable in Stark County at an estimated cost over $2 million.
Part of the grant requires a 35 percent local match.
SHARING SERVICES
Governments, businesses, schools, hospitals and other nonprofit agencies across the county could benefit from such high-speed connections.
For example, county and local government offices could use the same network, regionalizing databases, making it more efficient and less costly, said Stark County Auditor Kim Perez.
He said the current trend has been for these offices to pay for their own Internet service and data center. As a result, most offices are not able to share information.
The same possibilities exist for police and fire departments.
If a crime occurs in one town, officers in other communities could be put on alert quicker, said Beach City Police Chief Jim Wood.
PROMOTING GROWTH
Scot Rourke, president of OneCommunity, said his agency would install the fiber lines — similar to a main waterline — and provide a network for public and private sectors. Additionally, local service providers could connect their lines to the agency’s line for individual customers. That might reduce costs, he said.
He said the agency does not want to compete with current service providers, such as Time Warner or Massillon Cable, and openly invites them to use their lines.
Rourke said high-speed connectivity would help increase economic growth and civic progress in Northwest Ohio and Stark County.
Stark State President John O’Donnell said two important assets for potential new businesses are strong workforces and high-speed connectivity.
“We have the best workforce,” he said.
But the county lacks sufficient high-speed connection. “We just don’t have the fiber highway to attract modern-day jobs,” said Perez, who hosted the summit.
“We’re behind the times, and we need to be able to move Stark County forward to attract new jobs. Without connectivity, it’s not going to happen.”
County and local officials now must determined if they will provide the matching funds.
Read More...
A faster Internet network could attract more jobs and make services more efficient, officials say.
Roughly 50 officials from the public and private sector attended a countywide summit on broadband connectivity Friday at Stark State College of Technology.
OneCommunity, a nonprofit open network provider, has been awarded a $45 million stimulus grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce to expand its community broadband network. The Cleveland-based group plans to install about 100 miles of fiber-optic cable in Stark County at an estimated cost over $2 million.
Part of the grant requires a 35 percent local match.
SHARING SERVICES
Governments, businesses, schools, hospitals and other nonprofit agencies across the county could benefit from such high-speed connections.
For example, county and local government offices could use the same network, regionalizing databases, making it more efficient and less costly, said Stark County Auditor Kim Perez.
He said the current trend has been for these offices to pay for their own Internet service and data center. As a result, most offices are not able to share information.
The same possibilities exist for police and fire departments.
If a crime occurs in one town, officers in other communities could be put on alert quicker, said Beach City Police Chief Jim Wood.
PROMOTING GROWTH
Scot Rourke, president of OneCommunity, said his agency would install the fiber lines — similar to a main waterline — and provide a network for public and private sectors. Additionally, local service providers could connect their lines to the agency’s line for individual customers. That might reduce costs, he said.
He said the agency does not want to compete with current service providers, such as Time Warner or Massillon Cable, and openly invites them to use their lines.
Rourke said high-speed connectivity would help increase economic growth and civic progress in Northwest Ohio and Stark County.
Stark State President John O’Donnell said two important assets for potential new businesses are strong workforces and high-speed connectivity.
“We have the best workforce,” he said.
But the county lacks sufficient high-speed connection. “We just don’t have the fiber highway to attract modern-day jobs,” said Perez, who hosted the summit.
“We’re behind the times, and we need to be able to move Stark County forward to attract new jobs. Without connectivity, it’s not going to happen.”
County and local officials now must determined if they will provide the matching funds.
Read More...
posted by Connect Ohio at
10:09 AM
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