Project Identification IDENTIFICATION PROJECT IDENTIFICATION

09 Technology & Trends Review Policy Analysis Service and Infrastructure Analysis Site Analysis Market Analysis Needs Assessment and Outreach Utility Formation Study Programming and Finance Evaluation PROJECT Project Identification IDENTIFICATION PROJECT IDENTIFICATION OVERVIEW 2. Assist in marketing low-cost offerings currently available through broadband As the Market Analysis clearly demonstrates, providers, and assist with sign-ups for the local supply is not meeting local demand for FCC’s Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) broadband. When identifying implementation Program. projects, fundamental questions must be answered about network ownership, 3. Maintain a comprehensive regional asset management, and operation in advance of inventory, including digital inclusion comprehensive cost analyses, business planning programs. and financing evaluation. Our intent was to 4. Review and potentially revise or enact answer such fundamental questions through this municipal Right-of-Way ordinances. Study and the content that follows. However, a thorough cost model, business plan, and financial 5. Adopt a regional Dig-Once Policy. plan should be developed once the Eastgate 6. Establish partnerships among public entities region selects the model(s) to implement from including affordable housing, education, the recommendations below. For the projects healthcare, transit, libraries, and Information in which Eastgate will be working with a private Technology Centers, to address specific partner, such plans should be conducted with the broadband access and digital equity/ partner to ensure accuracy and transparency. inclusion needs. Various needs were identified by area residents, 7. Encourage build-out by existing providers businesses, and community organizations through applications to Ohio’s Residential through the Needs Assessment portion of the Broadband Expansion Grant Program and Study, as well as ongoing communication with NTIA’s Broadband Infrastructure Program. the Eastgate Regional Council of Governments and its member counties throughout the process. PROJECT RECOMMENDATION 1: To address these needs, we have delineated short-, mid-, and long-term projects for the region Identify the Eastgate Regional Council below. We estimate that the short-term project of Governments as the regional recommendations could be deployed from broadband convener & coordinator and approximately June 2, 2021 through August 31, 2021; mid-term project recommendations could incorporate additional staff support to be deployed from approximately June 2, 2021 implement the projects. through December 31, 2021; and long-term project Consistent feedback was received from the recommendations could be deployed from various stakeholders that there is a need for approximately June 2, 2021 through December 31, coordination, communication, and leadership 2024. However, all of the recommended projects when it comes to regional broadband will require local buy-in. activities. Further, while there are numerous recommendations below, few can come to SHORT-TERM: fruition without a strong leader/ convener/ Although network build-out is necessary coordinator. within the Eastgate region, this will be a costly, The State of Ohio was in a similar position prior timely endeavor and many constituents need to launching BroadbandOhio. Per the Ohio connectivity now. The following section provides Broadband Strategy released in December 2019: short-term recommendations to connect folks as quickly as possible while the region Goal: Identify an executive branch state explores longer term connectivity solutions. The agency to house a state broadband office. recommendations are summarized as follows: The current internet landscape is decentralized in Ohio. No single 1. Identify the Eastgate Regional Council of agency or office has full oversight over Governments as the regional broadband internet expansion within the state. The convener & coordinator and incorporate administration will create a new office of additional staff support to implement the broadband in order to optimize expansion projects. 167 EASTGATE BROADBAND FEASIBILITY STUDY efforts and leverage federal programs to the expertise necessary to be capable partners, expand internet access. This office may serve and navigate broadband grant processes. as a single contact point for state agencies Eastgate should continue to designate a page on and program managers as well as private its website to broadband, similar to the approach businesses and internet providers as they with the business and residential studies 1 work to expand high-speed internet in Ohio. performed under this study. This page can serve In March 2020, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine as an online information repository for the region created BroadbandOhio, an office housed including this Study, area broadband maps, and within the Development Services Agency additional resources such as funding/ financing that is dedicated to improving high-speed tools and sample policies identified in this Report. internet access across the state. Establishing Utilizing an informal hub and spoke approach, this office was a pillar of the Ohio Broadband Eastgate can be supported by local organizations Strategy. BroadbandOhio will implement the serving a similar role within their communities. State’s strategy and be a point of contact for all These organizations include, but are not limited broadband projects in Ohio. to the Ashtabula County Broadband Task We recommend a similar approach to Force,3 Youngstown/ Warren Regional Chamber, BroadbandOhio being taken within the Eastgate Ashtabula Community Action, and the Oak region, through the creation of a Regional Hill Collaborative. In addition, member city Broadband Office/ a regional lead as the Eastgate Councils should consider creating their own Regional Council of Governments. Eastgate will Broadband Committee, which could have larger then implement the recommendations in this representation in the regional groups. Further, Study and be a point of contact for all broadband since COVID, state and local workforce boards projects in the region. have had to figure out how to provide services The Eastgate Regional Council of Governments online; how to upskill their own staff with digital offers a unique set of proven attributes and skills; and how to identify the digital skills that capabilities that qualify it to serve as the Regional employers are looking for, and then weave them Broadband Council for the area. As a multi- into existing job training programs. Such entities service entity that already delivers a variety of can also be strong partners in the area of digital federal, state, and local programs, the Eastgate inclusion. Regional Council of Government serves as an In this role, we envision Eastgate fulfilling many effective tool through which federal and state of the following project recommendations, governments provide planning and financial including distributing and assisting in sign-ups resources at the local and regional level. Using for the low-cost broadband offers in the following the regional council for broadband management, section. the region can capitalize on its strong community Eastgate is currently staffed with highly relationships, administrative capacity and capable project developers and expert decades of experience administering federal planners, but including a new broadband- and state funding. Eastgate’s natural role is that specific focus may require hiring additional of a convener, resource provider and technical staff. To assist in immediate implementation expert, which lends itself seamlessly to regional of the recommendations provided, this broadband deployment management.2 recommendation was provided to Eastgate in Eastgate can identify important players and advance of completing the Study in order to allow guide the involved parties toward a common Eastgate to explore its option to supplement staff solution. Further, its public focus allows us to work via the American Connection Corps. with a constant eye for equity and the public interest. As referenced in the Programming & THE AMERICAN CONNECTION CORPS Finance section, Eastgate already receives and The American Connection Corps is an effort administers of a variety of state and federal connecting 50 young fellows in 12 states to their funding programs and grants. It can attribute hometowns for a two-year pilot project to this experience to assisting local governments increase digital access and inclusion in their understand the regulatory requirements, develop communities by coordinating local partners 168 PROJECT IDENTIFICATION to access federal and state resources for broadband access or delivering digital literacy IN-DEPTH to marginalized members of the community. The program will be led by Land O’Lakes in The leadership of the Oak Hill Collaborative conjunction with Lead for America (LFA) and recognizes that the most critical need in our funded through the support of Heartland community is digital inclusion and equity Forward and 19 additional partner organizations. - the opportunity for the less fortunate to LFA will select, train and place leaders in two-year, participate in our increasingly computerized full-time paid fellowships with local institutions world, something they are sorely lacking (e.g. local governments, nonprofits, community at this time. The Collaborative attempts to foundations). ameliorate all aspects of the Digital Divide, starting with education, and including Applicants must have earned their bachelor’s access

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