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Mahoning County plan directs $1.5 million to broadband buildout for 430 locations in four townships
Summary
County staff said commissioners committed $1.5 million toward a broadband buildout managed by Eastgate and contracted with Spectrum covering 430 locations in Jackson, Milton, Smith and Goshen townships; rollout expected to begin as streets are completed and could take about a year for residents to see service.
Mahoning County staff told commissioners the county has committed $1.5 million to a broadband expansion contract with Spectrum that would bring service infrastructure to about 430 locations in Jackson, Milton, Smith and Goshen townships.
The county’s contractor for day‑to‑day implementation is Eastgate Regional Council of Governments, and county staff said Spectrum will perform ground walk‑throughs to verify addresses on the Federal Communications Commission list used to define unserved and underserved locations. "Spectrum will come and do a ground walk through and verify all the households," the presenter said.
Why it matters: presenters said the project targets residents who lack reliable wired service and was funded with American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars previously committed by the commissioners. The presenter said Spectrum agreed to contribute additional funds beyond the $1.5 million so the provider could move forward with the work sooner.
County staff described the rollout and permitting steps: design and engineering are nearing completion, permitting and pole work with FirstEnergy will proceed in parallel, and Spectrum will activate service incrementally as streets are completed rather than waiting for an entire area to finish. "It's probably looking like a year until the residents see their portion of broadband brought out to the community," the presenter said.
Project details presented by staff include: about 430 addresses on the FCC list across the four townships; a mix of underground and aerial construction, with a leaning toward underground fiber; and a process in which FirstEnergy would perform pole modifications and bill Spectrum for that work, with Spectrum absorbing that cost in the contract. Staff also said some locations on the FCC list are nonresidential structures (for example, barns) and may be excluded when verified in the field.
Discussion and next steps: staff said addresses not on the FCC list can still be evaluated if they fall between two listed addresses. Design/engineering will lead to permit submissions; site work and activation will follow permits and field verification. The presenter said the county’s trustees have begun signing agreements to include public buildings in a separate county "Majoris" fiber effort that brings dark fiber to doors of selected buildings, which local entities could later light or lease.
No vote or formal motion approving contract terms was recorded in the transcript; staff described the commissioners as having awarded the $1.5 million and the contract arrangements during the meeting presentation.
