<div>Ohio (and Cleveland) Rocking, Rolling Out BEADIf you’ve had the good fortune to meet Peter Voderberg, Chief of BroadbandOhio, a division of the Ohio Department of Development, you know how affable and fun he is to be around. So, I was thrilled to sit down with him once more, this time for <a href="http://broadband.io/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">broadband.io</a> to catch up, talk sports, Cedar Point, parenthood, and even squeeze in some BEAD and broadband talk. Peter calls himself a “bureaucrat” and a politician. Ironically, after being a policy advisor for Governor DeWine, Voderberg took the reins of probably the least political group/initiative in the Governor’s administration as BroadbandOhio “chief.”<img src="https://assets-v2.circle.so/risagiqoodxe6q6tevf97k8j2koo" style="width: 100%; max-width: 100%;">A Broadband Story with a Major Award!Just like a leg lamp, broadband is useless without people in the room to enjoy the light (and the leg). Or as Voderberg says, “Broadband, by itself, doesn't do anything, like having electricity without appliances or phone service without a phone, the internet standing alone doesn’t help people. While we need to focus on making sure everyone has access to the internet, we also need to make sure we help people understand how to use it, how to be safe while using it, and have a device to use it.” He continues, “The internet provides a way for us to learn and talk to our doctors and our loved ones, but only if we know how to use it and have a way to use it. Young people can take college courses online and stick around in their rural hometowns through telework employment.”<img src="https://assets-v2.circle.so/dibklarxymeetnxrzlezgmf7w9p8" style="width: 100%; max-width: 100%;">It’s a lot, and Voderberg acknowledges the stress his team is under, but insists his team maintains a good work-life balance. “I try to emphasize to my staff how important the work is, but, at the same time, don’t neglect your home life. Not one of us in this division is so important that we need get twisted up and dismayed. Don't let the pressure wreck your dinners… or your life.” ORBEG in O-HI-OOhio’s Residential Broadband Expansion Grant Program (ORBEG) sounds more like a monster that would fight Godzilla (Saving Broadband: Godzilla versus ORBEG). The ORBEG broadband program pre-dated ARPA/CPF dollars when Ohio’s governor established BroadbandOhio to respond to stakeholder engagement that discussed the importance of an independent office pre-pandemic in 2020. Right after, the legislature created the  ORBEG program and BroadbandOhio was tasked with overseeing the distribution and management of $232 million in broadband funding with Ohio dollars. These dollars would end up connecting 100,000 BSLs with fiber. Using Coronavirus Capital Projects fund dollars, BroadbandOhio was also able to fund the Adams, Brown and Clermont County project (ABC) with $50 million to bring fiber internet to the entirety of these southern Ohio counties. ABC will connect 13,263 addresses with $50 million in CPF funds to ensure every residence has access to fiber in these three counties with a big proportion of unserved and underserved homes. The second round of ORBEG was funded by $94.5 million to connect 43,000 addresses. Additional dollars will help build funded community development centers throughout the Appalachian region as well as fund broadband deployments. While no matching funds were required, applications averaged 55% in match dollars.If I had a ($50) Million Dollars, I’d Train a Workforce While Ohio is in the throes of planning, prequalification rounds, and more – Voderberg tells me that his state is trying to “get ahead” of a forecasted workforce shortage when it comes time to build. That’s why Ohio has taken ~$50 million of its BEAD funding and applied into a myriad of efforts to drive interest in and skills for working in broadband. “We are dedicating millions to maintain and ready the state of Ohio's workforce programs for high-speed internet,” explains Voderberg. “This includes everything from fiber splicers to tower climbers to network operations center managers and every other role needed.” Voderberg also says that because of bottlenecks, these programs will also bring skills training to underground locators, poll technicians, and poll surveyors, to accelerate all ORBEG (BEAD included) state programs.Workforce Development efforts are even extending into K-12 schools. “We have VR headsets to show kids what it's like to be at the top of a tower. Is this for you? That’s just one of the careers we talk about,” says Voderberg. “And if you feel queasy, then let's tell you about other roles. We've done all these great things to help create this kind of career track to show kids that this is a good career complete with numerous opportunities.”Voderberg says that Ohio was able to free up Fed funds for more workforce development efforts past the <a href="https://workforce.ohio.gov/initiatives/initiatives/broadband-5g-workforce-strategy" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">current commitments</a> (that expire on July 1) earlier because while they were able to show workforce development as an actual deployment cost, they needed to categorize the monies as non-deployment to get the funding now. This also took some back and forth with the NTIA that caused delays. “Without workforce training, deployment was not possible. One of our studies revealed how many people we need to hire to build out the infrastructure.”Voderberg tells me that Ohio has more than <a href="https://5g-oh.osu.edu/sector-partnership" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">40 workforce development programs</a>, supported by industry sector partners, nonprofits, local leaders, and many more. In all, these programs have trained nearly 1K individuals who have earned a total of 1,414 industry recognized credentials. BEAD in the Buckeye StateWith prior programs taking BSLs off the map (rounds one and two of ORBEG), Voderberg says that what was once thought to be 262K eligible locations will end up between 110K and 120K. Ohio’s challenge maps with the final number of BSLs should be approved any day now. Northwest and the Southeast of the state is where you will find most of the unserved areas. One fun fact is Ohio has a significant Amish population (~85K) in throughout the state, so to truly reach ‘universal coverage,’ it would require violating religious beliefs, which Voderberg says is not an option on the table. Amish homes will need fiber built to pass them, but the community can simply put in writing that they do not want coverage.Ohio’s BEAD dollars ($793.7 million), much like CPF, will be distributed through the Residential Broadband Expansion Grant Program. “As far as broadband grant allocation, we aren’t looking to reinvent the wheel,” says Voderberg. “…the state legislature worked with us to pass a law that says that if we get federally funded, that the authority can work with the BroadbandOhio and the federal government to modify the rules for ORBEG for any Fed funded round.”Round 1, which Voderberg says will be “fiber preferred” will launch in July. He explains that licensed fixed wireless will also be eligible if it’s the best option. Once round 1 has covered as many BSLs as possible, Voderberg says round 2 will mostly simply be to fill in gaps and negotiate coverage with current carriers. But back to round 1, Voderberg explains that his state will, indeed, set a high-cost threshold because it will help both fiber and wireless providers determine where they apply. He explains, “gaming this out, let’s say the threshold is $15k, which is what it has been in other ORBEG rounds. In some counties where fiber passes will be less than $5K, wireless providers will understand that this is not an area in which they should compete. However, if cost per pass for fiber exceeds $15K, there’s a pretty good chance the area will need to be served with wireless.” Money for Nothing?Voderberg explains that one of the reasons that Ohio’s Volume 2 was not approved until October 15 is the state proposed a “zero subsidy round.” In essence, Ohio will first hold a round where bid applicants are simply applying for project area unit(s) without subsidies. The provider may already have plans to build to areas, and bidding for the geography(s) will prevent another provider from receiving Federal funding for over-building. This is expected to occur in June. With broadband build defaults a possibility (as they seem to be all too common with other Federal programs), Voderberg is ensuring these promised builds will happen with contracts—contracts that will fund someone else building the area if a carrier defaults. “We may get it that nobody wants to participate in the zero-dollar bid round and then that's fine,” says Voderberg. “But this is an opportunity for companies to protect their service areas.” Hang On Sloopy! We reach the point in the conversation that I need to with every SBO director since indications from the Trump Administration have signaled changes are coming to BEAD. The 90-day blanket extension for all states pushes Ohio’s final proposal deadline to January 2026. While there’s a lot of consternation and nervous SBOs, Voderberg is taking it all in stride, “I have never been a ‘sky is falling person,’” he tells me. “Did this take too long? Sure. But at the end of the day, we are very happy with the plan that we have, made earnestly and with the result of a lot of great work. It’s a good plan and we want to make sure that we don't lose any time.” <img src="https://assets-v2.circle.so/51pg0hfjmegi4v2axe9zyc6gc8lj" style="width: 100%; max-width: 100%;">Voderberg does say that he will welcome changes from the administration if it means cutting “red tape,” making permitting easier, and offering more, not less. Voderberg reflects on what may come in a positive manner, “If the new administration comes out with new guidelines, then we'll work with the administration on those new guidelines to make sure that we, again, have as much of what we know is important for Ohio. We are very willing to be flexible and would welcome a conversation with the NTIA/new administration.” “A lot of us were later in getting approved. We were providing the NTIA our input because we've done this already; let us do, close to what we've already done,” says Voderberg. “Once we finally see what their ideas are, we can sit down and say, ‘we understand where you're coming from, but here's our experience.’”Fifteen Minutes of Pain I always wrap up these SBO director interviews asking what the job means to the individual. In this discussion, Voderberg (like any good politician) doesn’t answer the question. Instead, he talks about what broadband means to every Ohioan. “When I’m asked to speak at events, I always ask the audience… what’s it like in your home when the internet goes out, even for just 15 minutes,” muses Voderberg. “Immediately I hear groans about how terrible it is, even for a short period of time. Think about people who are experiencing your 15 minutes of internet-less pain every day and evening of their lives. That’s who we’re trying to help.” “The thing I love about this job is that when you connect someone to the internet for the first time, there’s never a blasé response,” says Voderberg. “When we go and do a ribbon cutting for construction anywhere, the first words are, ‘when's it going to be at my house?’ The reason I'm always upbeat and positive is because ultimately, this can be a huge win for Ohioans that can’t currently do all the things that we take for granted.”<img src="https://assets-v2.circle.so/gj6xsxaatkchtt8lvplckmpxfyzn" style="width: 100%; max-width: 100%;">Don’t You Dare Put Cheese on Your HeadVoderberg, and his family of 4 kids (ages 18, 11, and 9-year-old twins) live in Columbus. Like any young family, Peter tells me that their evenings are dominated by activities like soccer, karate, and track.” Like any God-fearing Midwesterner, this Chicago native and Ohio resident has deep convictions when it comes to his kids. Make sure you establish that they are not to root for rivals unless they want to be disowned by the family (U of Michigan, Green Bay Packers, etc.). Still, he says his recurring nightmare is that someone in his household decides that his/her career would be better off with a Michigan degree (which is besides the point). Ohio State demands loyalty! He also recounts waking up in a cold sweat seeing his children wearing cheeseheads in his dreams. <img src="https://assets-v2.circle.so/eg1pgzzi2i5jkgyiajh81y6f0elr" style="width: 100%; max-width: 100%;"></div>

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Meet Peter Voderberg, OH

<div>On August 24, 2023, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced the approval of $162.5 million in federal funds for broadband infrastructure and multi-purpose community facility projects in Ohio under the American Rescue Plan’s <a href="https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/coronavirus/assistance-for-state-local-and-tribal-governments/capital-projects-fund" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Capital Projects Fund</a>, part of President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda. The announcement includes two funding plans: $77.5 million for broadband infrastructure, which the state estimates will connect 15,000 homes and businesses; and $85 million for multi-purpose community facilities, which will bring connectivity to Ohio communities for years to come. To date, the Capital Projects Fund has awarded nearly $8 billion for broadband, digital technology, and multi-purpose community center projects in 47 states, which those states estimate will reach over two million locations<h3>Digital connectivity central to economic opportunity</h3>“Digital connectivity is central to expanding economic opportunity in communities across the country,” said Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo. “This funding is a key piece of the Biden-Harris Administration’s historic investments to increase access to high-speed internet for millions of Americans and provide more opportunities to fully participate in the 21st century economy.” “Every Ohio family and Ohio business should have reliable, high-speed internet. You shouldn’t have to live in a big city or a wealthy suburb to have access to a crucial aspect of modern society and our economy,” said Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio. “It’s why when we wrote the American Rescue Plan, we made sure that it not only included investment in high speed internet, but that the investment would be focused on places like Ohio, where large portions of the state have been left out.” “This investment by the Biden Administration benefits people and businesses across Northwest Ohio by connecting them to vital services to compete in today’s internet age,” said Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio. “Bringing modern high-speed broadband internet infrastructure to our communities will allow them to compete regionally, nationally, and globally and ensure students in rural areas will have access to 21st century technology. Building our economy from the bottom up and middle out, means leaving no Ohio community behind and this investment helps fulfill that pledge.” “The Capital Projects Fund Award for Ohio proves how the Biden-Harris Administration is working hard to improve the livelihoods of Central Ohioans,” said Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio. “This $162.5 million investment of American Rescue Plan funds will aid in expanding broadband infrastructure to communities who need it most, as well as create multi-use community facilities that provide access to education, community health services, and workforce development.” “Expanding access to affordable and reliable broadband is a key component of building our economy from the bottom up and the middle out. Broadband shouldn’t be a luxury in 2023. My constituents need fair access to broadband to learn, work, grow their business, and more. This funding is good news for Ohio and good news for people in underserved communities across our state,” said Congresswoman Shontel Brown, D-Ohio. “Connecting our families to affordable high-speed internet is a big deal. This will connect thousands of folks in rural areas to better healthcare, education, and jobs. We’re so proud to announce these dollars are coming back to Ohio,” said Rep. Greg Landsman, D-Ohio. “As a former member of the Ohio House of Representatives, I proudly helped lead bipartisan legislation creating the Ohio Residential Broadband Expansion Program to guarantee all Ohioans have access to affordable, high-speed internet. Now, in Congress, I’m pleased to announce more than $77 million in federal funding to continue investing in and expanding this innovative strategy,” said Rep. Emilia Sykes, D-Ohio. Ohio is approved to receive $77.5 million for <a href="https://home.treasury.gov/system/files/136/OH-301_Fact_Sheet.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">broadband infrastructure projects</a>, which the state estimates will connect 15,000 homes and businesses to affordable, high-speed internet. This funding will go toward the Ohio Residential Broadband Expansion Grant Program (ORBEG), a competitive broadband grant program designed to fund last-mile broadband infrastructure projects in rural areas currently lacking access to reliable, high-speed internet. Ohio will invest an additional $85 million of CPF funding in Ohio’s <a href="https://home.treasury.gov/system/files/136/OH-302_Fact_Sheet.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Appalachian Community Innovation Campuses Program</a>, a competitive grant program that provides funding to eligible counties within the Appalachian region to construct multi-purpose facilities designed to increase access to education, community health services, and workforce development opportunities. Each campus will provide public education to students across a minimum of six grade levels, health services in partnership with a healthcare provider, and a return-to-work site with internet access. Together, these projects represent 61 percent of the state’s total allocation under the CPF program. The Treasury Department began announcing <a href="https://home.treasury.gov/home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy1526" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">state awards in June 2022</a>. Of the nearly $8 billion awarded by the department for broadband, digital technology, and multi-purpose community center projects in 47 states, states estimate that the broadband investments will reach more than two million locations. The Treasury Department will continue approving state and Tribal plans on a rolling basis.<a class="embed" href="https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy1692" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Treasury Department Announces Approval of Federal Funds to Connect Tens of Thousands of Ohio Homes and Businesses to Affordable, High-Speed Internet as Part of President Biden's Investing in America Agenda</a> </div>

Ohio State Broadband Office

Ohio Broadband Grant Award Status

Ohio Broadband Audit

Ohio Broadband Director

About Ohio Broadband Office

Ohio Broadband Articles

Meet Peter Voderberg, OH

Benjamin Kahn

Treasury Department announces $162 million in funds for broadband in Ohio

Broadband Breakfast

Ohio Broadband Investment Maps

Ohio Map of Ready Strength Rank

Ohio Yield on Cost Maps

Ohio Pricing & Competition Map

Ohio Map of Business Establishments in Underserved Areas

Ohio Small Business Establishments Map

Ohio Rural Electric Cooperative (REC) Coverage Map

Ohio Map of Anchor Institutions

Ohio Provider Coverage Maps

Map of Ohio Broadband Serviceable Locations