Ohio Pilot Project Tests SpaceX Satellite Broadband

(TNS) — Ohio is testing a new initiative that, if it works, could eventually help bring high-speed Internet access to underserved areas across the state.

State officials on Wednesday announced a pilot program that will bring broadband Internet service to 100 customers in Union County, near Columbus, starting in 2021. The 12-month program will use StarLink low-orbit satellite technology developed by SpaceX, an aerospace company founded by tech entrepreneur  Elon Musk . The company received nearly $900 million worth of federal subsidies to support rural broadband customers earlier this month. The technology is new, and if it works, is capable of providing download speeds well in excess of the government’s definition of high-speed Internet.

Eventually, the StarLink program could be rolled out more broadly as part of a state initiative to extend broadband Internet access throughout Ohio, Lt. Gov.  Jon Husted  said Wednesday. JobsOhio, the state’s private economic development arm, is spending $200,000 on the program for now. State officials say they will judge the technology for customer experience, price and reliability before deciding whether to expand it.

Unlike traditional broadband Internet, which relies on digging and the physical installation of cables, StarLink operates on low-orbit satellites. That could make it more feasible for rural areas where it’s not easy or cost-effective for companies to lay cable, state officials said.

“We have a lot of hope that this will be that technology solution that will help us leapfrog, but we don’t know yet,” Husted said. “That’s why we were very aggressive with StarLink to test this in Ohio to determine if this is going to be a major part of our solution going forward.”

“We’re excited about it, but we’re looking at all types of solutions to solve this problem,” said JP Nauseef, president and CEO of JobsOhio.

More than 300,000 households, or about 1 million Ohioans, lack access to basic broadband Internet, according to the state’s BroadbandOhio report. The lack of broadband infrastructure mostly is concentrated in the state’s rural Appalachian region, but there are pockets throughout the state. There is a lack of highest-speed broadband access in some urban areas too, including in East Cleveland In Cuyahoga County, according to state data.

Areas without broadband access are left behind economically, limiting expansion opportunities for business and technological access for everyday residents.

(c)2020 The Plain Dealer, Cleveland. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.