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Congressman Bob Latta (R-OH5), Republican Leader of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, and Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Commissioner Brendan Carr visited MetaLINK Technologies in Defiance, A Renewed Mind in Perrysburg, and Buckeye Broadband in Perrysburg. 

“Broadband providers across the country, like the ones we met with today in Ohio’s Fifth Congressional District, are stepping up to meet the growing demand for broadband as our communities have become more dependent on remote services for health care, education, employment, and more,” said Congressman Latta. “It is a pleasure to welcome Commissioner Carr to Defiance and Perrysburg so that he can see first-hand how 5G, telehealth services, and distance learning opportunities are helping Ohioans live, work, and communicate with one another. Service providers and organizations alike are working hard to meet the needs of their communities; Congress must support their efforts by expanding access to broadband services. Through my work on the Energy and Commerce Committee, I remain committed to increasing access to reliable, high-speed internet by leading on legislation that supports the buildout of broadband.”

“Ohio is relying on broadband now more than ever—for remote work, distance learning, telehealth, and to keep in touch with friends and family through the pandemic,” said Commissioner Carr. “Congressman Latta’s years of work on connecting northwest Ohio are paying off, and I appreciated joining him this week as we continue the efforts needed to extend high-speed service to every part of the state.”

MetaLINK Technologies is a locally-owned wireless internet service provider (WISP) providing high-speed internet, fiber transport, co-location, web hosting, and hosted phone services and systems to Northwest Ohio, Northeast Indiana, and Southern Michigan. Latta and Carr toured a “hub home” in one of MetaLINK’s 5G communities in Defiance where they saw how households connect to broadband. During the pandemic, MetaLINK has offered households with K-12 students or college students free installations of high-speed wireless internet, special pricing, unlimited data usage, and no throttling.  They also deployed public Wi-Fi hotspots and took advantage of the FCC’s decision to grant Special Temporary Authority (STA) of 5.9 GHz spectrum during the pandemic.

A Renewed Mind is a behavioral health organization that provides mental health, addiction recovery, substance abuse and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder services in Northwest Ohio. They were awarded funding through the FCC COVID-19 Telehealth Program for laptop computers, tablets, videoconferencing equipment, and network upgrades to help patients connect remotely with counselors, doctors, and nurses using devices and video conferencing to continue care for an at-risk population. They also experienced a telehealth demonstration where counselors interacted with patients online. 

Buckeye Broadband is a local company serving Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan, offering high-speed internet, cable TV, and wireline phone plans, among other services. During their visit, they discussed Buckeye Broadband’s School FreeNet service and, specifically, their partnership with Perrysburg Schools to ensure K-12 students have access to the internet to engage in distance learning. 

BACKGROUND

Congressman Latta recently introduced the Rural Connectivity Advancement Program (RCAP) Act of 2020, which would help fund broadband buildout in rural communities by capturing a portion of the proceeds from spectrum auctions conducted by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) through September 30, 2022. 

In June, Congressman Latta led Energy and Commerce Republicans in introducing 26 bills to streamline and speed up the deployment of broadband infrastructure. This legislative package will help connect all communities by making common sense reforms that reduce red-tape and speed up permitting processes for broadband infrastructure. All 26 proposals will help provide greater access to broadband and 5G with little to no cost to the American taxpayer by simply removing unnecessary and burdensome regulations that slow buildout and innovation. 

Earlier this year, a bill Congressman Latta introduced was signed into law, the Broadband DATA Act. This law requires the FCC to collect granular service availability data from wired, fixed wireless, and satellite broadband providers in order to improve the accuracy of our nation’s broadband maps and ensure federal dollars go to areas that need internet access the most. The FCC is currently implementing this law.

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