How Broad is Broadband Internet?

One of the lessons learned from 2020 is the need, not want, for broadband. That’s high-speed, reliable access to the Internet to feed the video conferences, cloud-based homework portals and streaming services the world relied on while managing at-home work and school.

“It wasn’t just access for work and school,” said Todd Jackson, Westerville’s Chief Information Officer. “Broadband became necessary to participate in society. People needed access to health care and to shop for goods and services as essential as groceries.”

Jackson says Westerville is in a geographically desirable location for broadband. According to the web-based dashboard BroadbandNow. com, access is widely available in the state of Ohio, with more than 89% of the population having access to some type of high-speed internet. In Westerville, there are currently three residential service providers that offer nearly 100% broadband coverage. This means no matter where you work or live in Westerville you should have access to broadband internet.

But that doesn’t mean everyone has equal access, with affordability and equipment issues that most often create barriers to access. And, some residents report speed and reliability as challenges.

In 2020, the City promoted several WeConnect public WiFi hotspots for users who needed access for work, school or other “essential” tasks. To provide WiFi as a public service, the City launched free access in City Buildings (Westerville City Hall, Westerville Community Center, etc.) in 2003. WeConnect outdoor public WiFi was introduced in 2011 at Highlands Park Aquatic Center and Uptown Westerville in the spring of 2014 and drive-up WiFi locations behind the Library and 64 E. Walnut St. in 2020. The service is free to connect to any mobile device, and proved to be a valuable resource during the pandemic, serving more than 16,000 unique users (connections).

“WeConnect builds on the branding of the City-owned data center and fiber network, so it makes sense for residents, businesses and visitors to know and trust the Westerville brand,” said Jackson.

Other public entities had problems to solve related to access and equipment in 2020. For the Westerville City School District, technology and access solutions had to be paired to serve students and families.

Creating their Virtual Academy was the first step to address the instructional needs of 3,400+ students and their families (those who were not comfortable with their children participating in any form of in-person instruction). This meant distributing more than 7,000 Chromebooks and 400 mobile Internet hotspots to keep everyone connected. (Find out more about how Westerville public entities created solutions for pandemic-related issues by watching the video at www.westerville.org/soc.)

The City will continue to investigate the feasibility of a future fiberto-the-home model treated like a utility service (see Jan/Feb issue at www.westerville.org/recreationguide) to expand options in the community. For more information on local and state broadband data, visit https://broadbandnow.com/Ohio.

SOURCE: Cooper, Tyler. Internet Access in Ohio: Stats & FiguresBroadband Now. Last modified February 2, 2021. Accessed March 09, 2021. https://broadbandnow.com/Ohio