Stimulus award will expand broadband access in Pickaway, two other counties
Chillicothe Gazette – An Athens-based company looking to provide broadband Internet service to rural areas of Pickaway, Athens and Fairfield counties has been selected as a recipient of stimulus funding for that purpose.
Intelliwave learned this week it will received $1.116 million in stimulus grant funds and $1.162 million in stimulus loan funds that will be used during the next three years to bring broadband service to about 11,232 households and businesses in the three-county area.
"This award represents true economic stimulus for the region," said Chris Cooper, managing partner of Intelliwave. "Not only will Intelliwave offer high-quality technical job opportunities to residents here, we will also expand economic opportunities within the communities that will now have access to lower-cost, higher-speed Internet service."
About 2,200 applications were submitted nationally for a piece of the $7.2 billion stimulus pie being set aside for expanding broadband access.
U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, agreed that expanding broadband is critical to future economic development in Ohio.
