Spectrum’s broadband expansion is reaching a major milestone across Western Ohio, bringing high-speed internet access to more than 20,000 homes and businesses. The rollout includes areas that have long lacked reliable service, with coverage extending into counties such as Auglaize, Champaign, Clark, Clinton, Darke, Fayette, Greene, Miami, Montgomery, Preble, and Shelby.
The project, supported by BroadbandOhio’s Residential Broadband Expansion Grant Program, is now about two-thirds complete. For many communities, this marks a shift in how residents and businesses connect and operate.
State leaders say the progress reflects a significant improvement from just a few years ago. When Governor Mike DeWine first took office, an estimated 300,000 homes in Ohio lacked broadband access. That number has since dropped to around 60,000.
“I think this is parallel to when electricity first was in the cities, but not in the rural areas,” DeWine said. “I suppose there were some people who said ‘Well that’s just a luxury,’ but the truth is people needed that electricity to live the same quality of life…The same thing is true with with broadband.”
The expansion is part of a broader initiative by Spectrum and its parent company, Charter Communications. The multi-year project, valued at roughly $7 billion, is expected to bring high-speed internet to approximately 1.75 million previously unserved homes and small businesses nationwide.
Spectrum Expansion Brings New Access to Underserved Communities
Across Western Ohio, the impact of expanded broadband access is already being felt. For small businesses and rural operations, reliable internet service is closely tied to daily productivity and communication.
“It is used for many, many purposes but certainly one essential one that is education and communication,” DeWine said. “We want people to have the same access to something that’s very essential to the way we live our lives today.”
As the network continues to expand, the added connectivity is expected to support industries that rely on stable digital infrastructure. From agriculture to retail, access to broadband opens opportunities that were previously limited in rural areas.
Career Center Program Prepares Workforce for Broadband Jobs
As infrastructure grows, attention is also turning toward workforce development. The Greene County Career Center is preparing to launch a pathway focused on broadband installation and fiber optics, giving students access to skills tied to the state’s expansion efforts.
“We knew that (broadband) was becoming pretty critical for the state, and so we decided several months ago that we wanted to start exploring the possible use of fiber optics pathways in our curriculum,” said Superintendent Dave Deskins. “It was really a positive opportunity for combining some of that curriculum to allow our students to have yet more credentials and more opportunities.”
The program, developed with an Ohio chapter of the Fiber Optics Association, will prepare students for installation, maintenance, and system design roles.
“Companies like Spectrum will look to hire students who already know how fiber optics work, how the installation works…the repair, the components technologists need to fix, designing it, the layout for it, all of those things make it a valuable option,” Deskins added.
As Western Ohio continues to expand its broadband network, improved access and workforce training are shaping how communities connect and how businesses operate moving forward.
