Appalachian Regional Commission Broadband Grant to Connect 200 Ohio Homes

Residents of Meigs County (OH)—a county whose eastern edge borders West Virginia and the winding Ohio River—are set to benefit from a $352,000 grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission. It will provide broadband service to more than 200 homes in the county, which otherwise would have no access to high-speed internet service. The county received the grant from the ARC through its Broadband-as-a-Service program. BaaS projects let communities procure broadband as a service through long-term internet service provider contracts, subsidizing access for homes, businesses, and institutions, without owning infrastructure. ISPs must provide affordable, non-discriminatory services.