YELLOW SPRINGS, Ohio — A new budget put out by the Ohio Senate threatens to cut $190 million from broadband funding.
It’s a proposal at odds with Gov. DeWine’s plan to expand broadband services. News Center 7′s Candace Price went to Yellow Springs Wednesday where their community broadband project could be at risk.
Residents in Yellow Springs are concerned that free public WiFi could go away soon.
Yellow Springs resident Andrew Holyoke said, “Internet costs a whole lot of money and I don’t like that all I have is Spectrum to choose from, maybe AT&T. I don’t really like any of those choices.”
Holyoke, who has lived in Yellow Springs a long time, said he sees the need for high speed Internet access grow.
“Most of us have it and those who don’t are disadvantaged in terms of quality of life and the job market for instance,” Holyoke said.
Yellow Springs Village Manager Josue Salmeron took the lead on developing community-run broadband during the pandemic.
“Early on in the pandemic, we saw a huge need for students to be able to have reliable Internet connection. Private sector was not fulfilling that demand,” Salmeron said.
The Yellow Springs Public WiFi is completely free and Salmeron said it’s also faster than what is offered by competitors.
“We’ve been able to build out a public WiFi network in Yellow Springs that beats everything that Spectrum has,” Salmeron said,
Now, he’s concerned that service could go away soon..
He said, “Our residents tend to lose if this amendment goes forward and that state bans community broadband networks.
The State Senate recently put out a budget which calls for reduced spending and calls for a ban on private/public partnerships.
Salmeron said he doesn’t believe they would have gotten through the school year or the pandemic without if not for the community broadband project.
“In order for our constituents - our residents, to compete in the labor market place, they need good Internet access.”
The community has access to free WiFi all over town, including in neighborhoods and the school in town.
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