(This story was updated to add new information.)
CARROLLTON ‒ Spectrum has expanded broadband internet service to nearly 3,000 homes and businesses in Carroll County.
A company spokesman in a July 24 email called it “a win-win for families, students, and local businesses who were previously unserved or underserved in the community.”
Spectrum said the nearly 3,000 homes and businesses getting access to broadband internet speeds are located in the northern half of Carroll County in Harrison, Washington, Brown and Augusta Townships. The installation of equipment took about two to three years and was completed within the past month.
The residents and businesses can now sign up for internet speeds of up to 500 megabytes to one gigabyte per second, Spectrum said.
An Ohio Residential Broadband Expansion Grant, a Rural Development Opportunity Fund from the Federal Communications Commission and Spectrum’s funds covered the cost of this most recent round of broadband expansion, a company spokesman wrote in an email. The company will use funds that remain from the RDOF grant to expand broadband service to other homes and businesses.
Spectrum said company and local government officials took part in a ribbon-cutting ceremony the morning of July 24 at Bluebird Farm Park in Center Township near Carrollton announcing the expansion. A Spectrum technician gave a fiber splicing demonstration.
In attendance at the event were two Spectrum government affairs officials, State Rep. Monica Blasdel, R-New Waterford, and Carroll County commissioners Donald Leggett II and Robert Wirkner and Christopher Modranski and Dale Alexander, executive director of the Carroll County Park District.
Reach Robert at robert.wang@cantonrep.com.