Connected Nation’s Connect Ohio Receives Federal Grant to Provide Free Computer Training at Public Libraries, Community Colleges in Ohio

Connect Ohio’s Public Adoption Through Libraries/Every Community Online Adoption Project will receive $6.9 million, which will offer free computer training sessions at public libraries and community colleges throughout Ohio and will introduce new users to a wide range of communication, education, and healthcare tools available online.

The project is funded through the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP).

Connect Ohio’s two-year program provides the necessary equipment, training, technical support, and public awareness components to create publicly accessible training sessions in Ohio’s public libraries and community colleges, educating new computer users and helping them take advantage of the powerful social and economic tools available through high-speed Internet service.

The project is expected to immediately create 136 jobs, train 209,000 consumers over two years, and inspire a total of 75,000 new households to adopt broadband in their daily lives. Public computing capacity will also be enhanced by the placement of more than 2,000 new public computers that will be distributed to dozens of public library and community college locations across the state along with the necessary curriculum to be used in the training program.

To read the full project summary, visit the NTIA website.

Shot in the Arm, but Not the Cure

“President Obama appears to have struck the right balance with the initial announcements on broadband infrastructure awards. The administration’s focus on connecting community anchor institutions such as libraries, schools, and hospitals is a big step forward in bridging America’s digital divide. And, the awards for last-mile projects in rural areas are clearly key to closing the broadband gaps for unserved residents and businesses.

We are eager to learn more about the full list of projects funded in the first round, particularly within the sustainable adoption program. While the supply-side projects are obviously important for broadband stimulus efforts, effective demand-side programs are critical to accompany these network deployments if we hope to see any sustainable positive economic effects.

Connected Nation research in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Ohio shows that the largest barrier to broadband adoption is a lack of awareness about broadband’s benefits. Across these three states, 44 percent of those without a home broadband connection say ‘I don’t need broadband.’ Among vulnerable populations such as low-income residents, minorities, and people with disabilities, this awareness challenge is even greater.

While these middle-mile projects to connect community anchor institutions should be a big shot in the arm for broadband expansion in those areas, if there is not enough prospective demand for broadband service, particularly in the rural markets, then the wholesaler will be hard-pressed to get any internet service provider (ISP) takers to provide last mile service on the network. Even then, if take-rates remain low, the last mile services will likely prove to be unsustainable.

So, in addition to the hope of spurring demand indirectly through community anchor institutions, it is critical that effective digital literacy/awareness and computer ownership programs are funded and established to ensure the sustainability of these type of infrastructure projects as well as to ensure that vulnerable populations are not marginalized as a result of not having a computer or the digital skills to use broadband.“

--From Laura Taylor, Connected Nation’s Chief Policy Officer, in response to the federal government’s awarding of $183 million in federal broadband stimulus funds through the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s Broadband Technology Opportunity Program and the Rural Utilities Service’s Broadband Infrastructure program.

Want to know more? Click here to view Connected Nation’s recommendations to NTIA about these projects.