USDA-funded fiber network brings high-speed internet to 500 homes and businesses in Ottawa County.

OTTAWA COUNTY, Ohio — After months of construction, Carroll Township marked a major milestone Friday in bridging the digital divide as technicians completed the final fiber splice on a broadband project that will bring reliable high-speed internet to hundreds of rural residents.

The project, funded through a USDA loan program and implemented by Amplex, addresses years of connectivity struggles in the rural Ottawa County community.

“Unfortunately, in the township we have very poor coverage in many areas, and the coverage that we do have is unreliable,” said Sandy Shearon, Carroll Township Trustee. “We have spotty coverages. We have issues when there’s storms and weather problems that cause internet outages pretty regularly.”

The completion of this phase represents the end of construction that began in April, serving approximately 500 homes and businesses with fiber broadband service.

“This is the last day. So for this project, this is the end of the project. This is the final splice. So we’re lighting up, making the last location available today,” said Mark Ratabaugh, CEO and President of Amplex.

For rural families, reliable broadband access extends far beyond streaming and entertainment. The new fiber network will support critical needs including education, remote work, and emergency services.

“The biggest piece of the puzzle will be the fact of speed and continuity,” Shearon explained. “For kids that are studying from home, hopefully we never have that, but work from home situations and just bringing it in so that as we grow it can grow with us as well.”

The improved connectivity will also benefit first responders. “Fire and EMS will definitely, in some of the secluded locations in some of the dead zones they call them, this should hopefully give us much more connectivity situation,” Shearon added.

Charles Tassel, Ohio State Director of USDA Rural Development, emphasized the critical importance of connecting rural America to high-speed internet.

“You can have the breathing through a straw on the information highway is really difficult,” Tassel said. “So we want to make sure that we’re providing a full service partnership, and that means broadband to all of our rural communities.”

The USDA Rural Development program focuses on three key areas: housing, business and industry support, and community facilities, all aimed at helping rural communities develop and grow.

This Carroll Township project is part of a larger regional expansion. Amplex plans to begin construction on their next phase in approximately one month, which will connect another 1,100 homes across the area.

The company primarily serves Ottawa, Sandusky, Wood, and Hancock counties, with some reach into surrounding areas. Founded in 1997 as a dial-up provider, Amplex evolved to offer fixed wireless broadband in 2003 and fiber service starting in 2015. The company now serves over 13,000 customers with broadband, phone, and television services.

Residents in newly connected areas can sign up for service by contacting Amplex directly or visiting their website. The company’s service area map is available here.

This project represents one piece of a broader statewide effort to eliminate the digital divide, ensuring rural communities have the same internet access as their urban counterparts.

For more information about USDA Rural Development broadband programs, click here .