releases: http://billjohnson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=402893
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| http://billjohnson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=402893 | Successful Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Auction to Expand Broadband in Eastern and Southeastern Ohio | 2020-12-11 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Republican | Senate | OH | Bill Johnson | J000292 | billjohnson.house.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON Congressman Bill Johnson (R-Marietta) released the following statement after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced the results of the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) Phase I auction: The RDOF is the FCC's major initiative to bridge the digital divide by expanding broadband internet access throughout rural America. Funding will be directed to finance high-speed broadband networks in unserved rural areas, connecting millions of American homes and businesses to digital services for the first time. Ohio bidders were awarded over $170 million, and providers within the counties that I serve in the 6th Congressional District received over $80 million (see the full list here). The auction saw robust competition, resulting in more locations being awarded at lower cost to American taxpayers. This is big news for many areas of rural Ohio that are on the wrong side of the rural-urban digital divide, Bill Johnson said. The need for our children to use the internet for distance learning, the demand for businesses to allow their employees to remotely work from home, and the need for internet access to support advances in telehealth have demonstrated how critically important it is that we in rural Ohio get access to high-speed broadband internet. Like the Rural Electrification effort to bring electricity to rural America in the1930's, the federal government must step in when and where the private market fails in order to ensure that high speed internet access is available in all the hills and valleys of Appalachia and throughout rural America. Johnson added: I've met with FCC Chairman Pai and other members of the commission numerous times to stress the importance of this issueI've even brought them here to our rural communities. They understood my concerns and they promised to help, and I'm grateful they've kept their word and followed through. I commend the chairman and his team for their hard work under the leadership and direction of President Trump to accomplish this historic milestoneand, it's a great step. But, make no mistake, there is still more work to be done to close the digital divide. And, the gap must be closed soonbecause access to the digital world we live in today is essential for economic growth and individual opportunities to pursue the American Dream. We are simply losing too much intellectual capital from thousands of rural Americans who can't compete in the digital economy because they don't have access to high-speed internet. The RDOF program is a major step forward in addressing this problem. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |