Spectrum (Charter Communications) informed the Portage County commissioners on July 17 that it received an Ohio Residential Broadband Expansion (Orbiq) Round 2 grant to build last-mile connections to 230 addresses across four townships in Portage County.

Sandra Williams, director of government affairs for Charter Communications, told the board the award covers Hiram Township, Nelson Township, Palmyra Township and Paris Township and that the company’s walkout and design work has begun. The Orbiq Round 2 program is intended to fund projects that deliver at least 100 Mbps download and 100 Mbps upload to households when completed. "There are 230 locations in this grant," Williams said, and the addresses are listed on Broadband Ohio's website.

Williams said the project must be completed by December 2026. Board members asked whether addresses in the award represent locations that previously lacked any high-speed service; Williams confirmed these locations are unserved and said she would provide mapping detail as pole/underground construction decisions and route mapping are finalized.

County officials and Spectrum staff discussed related federal programs (including the federal BEAD program) and the pause and rule changes that affected that federal funding rollout; Williams said state rounds are continuing and that many Ohio counties continue to seek service for remaining unserved addresses. She noted that after Orbiq Round 2 there remain additional unserved addresses statewide that future rounds or federal funding may address.

Commissioners and staff said they appreciated the company’s work and asked Spectrum to share finalized mapping and construction methods (aerial vs. underground) when design work determines them. Spectrum staff said they would share electronic lists and mapping of the 230 addresses and report construction details as they are developed.