The Knox County Board of Commissioners has passed a resolution aimed at broadening the reach of broadband internet service across the county. This expansion will be facilitated through grants from the state, with eligible projects in municipalities and townships potentially receiving funding from the Ohio Residential Broadband Expansion Grant Program.

According to the minutes of the Knox County Commissioners meeting on Dec. 14, this grant program was established by Amended House Bill 2 of the 134th Ohio General Assembly.

The same source indicates that to qualify for funding, a project must provide tier two broadband service access to homes in an unserved area or a tier one area within an eligible municipality or township.

The minutes further explain that an unserved area is defined as one without access to either tier of service. Tier one broadband service provides internet access via retail wireline or wireless broadband service capable of internet speeds of at least 10 but less than 25 megabits per second downstream, and at least 1 but less than 3 megabits per second upstream. A tier one area is thus served by tier one broadband service but not by tier two service.