The grant will incentivize investment in broadband infrastructure in the county, Commissioner Casey Kozlowski said.
Commissioner J.P. Ducro said the grant is for a larger sum of money than usual ARC grants.
"Very excited about the opportunity to bring this much in resources, locally, to help with the expansion of broadband here in Ashtabula County, which is a much-needed service for our rural residents," he said. "We're hopeful we'll be successful."
The list of entities receiving funds from the grant will be released this fall, Ducro said.
In addition to approving a resolution approving the grant application, the commissioners approved a number of resolutions for supporting elements of the application.
The commissioners awarded a proposal to Spectrum to deploy, operate and maintain a broadband Internet network in areas of Ashtabula County.
Ducro said two of the three responses were very close to one another.
"The award for Spectrum was not really a slight to the others," he said. "It was more, it's going to be easier to meet the requirements within the specifics of the grant application with a fiber-optic, hard-wired installation provider than a fixed wireless solution."
Grant requirements state service must be installed in areas without satisfactory services, Ducro said.
"Fixed wireless, you can't stop at a street, if you want to, whereas a fiber optic installation will allow you to carve out areas much easier," Ducro said. "So from a standpoint of meeting the requirements and avoiding any complications in the grant application, Spectrum was the better fit for meeting these requirements."
Ducro thanked all of the companies that submitted a proposal.
The proposed project would install fiber-optic cable in 14 townships in the county, and provide broadband services to over 3,000 homes and businesses. The cost of the project was around $12 million, Ducro said.
The acceptance of Spectrum's proposal is contingent on the county receiving the grant funds.
The commissioners approved an agreement with the Eastgate Regional Council of Governments, in which Eastgate will provide in-kind services to the county to administer the grant project, if the county receives the grant.
The county will also partner with the Ashtabula County Farm Bureau, in order to host at least 10 seminars to provide farmers and business owners knowledge to improve their farms and businesses.
Ducro said the first discussions about going after the grant happened around the beginning of the year.
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