WARREN — Areas of Trumbull, Mahoning and Ashtabula counties still remain without access to high-functioning internet connections, creating an impediment to education, business growth and innovation, officials said.

The Trumbull County Planning Commission has been working for a few years to secure grant funding to increase internet access in the county. After securing a $27,500 grant through the Appalachian Regional Commission, the planning commission started looking for funding through the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration.

On the advice of representatives from the Eastgate Regional Council of Governments, the planning commission decided to take a regional approach to the grant application and sought the funds with Ashtabula and Mahoning counties as partners, said Nicholas Coggins, assistant director of the Trumbull County Planning Commission.

The joint application led to a $132,500 grant through the EDA. The funding will pay for a consultant to study the three counties, identify areas in need, explore potential solutions and funding sources, Coggins said.

“This will be a comprehensive, broad-scope study looking at urban and rural areas. It will look at how we can get it, and look for funding sources to help with implementation. Once the study is done, we will have a plan, we will know where we can go for funding and start small, incremental projects,” Coggins said. “We will start with key businesses and business locations, but that should take us to residential areas as well.”

Eastgate is expected to put out a request for proposals in the next week and to select a consultant to start the study by the end of October, said James Kinnick, executive director of Eastgate.

“Eastgate is excited to move forward with the study and to provide residents with the data and technology needed to continue moving our economy forward,” Kinnick said. “We hope to close all the gaps that we have and then look for additional funding to implement some of the solutions proposed in the study.

“We will look at the rural areas with no internet, the urban areas that don’t have high-speed internet, and areas that lack affordable internet. The study will also be useful at this time considering the increased broadband needs of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.”

The pandemic has forced many students and employees to work from their homes, highlighting the need for more comprehensive broadband services, Coggins said.

“Access to internet is key. And it is proven educational attainment goes up at least 10 percent for households with internet, compared to those without it,” Coggins said.

Businesses can’t utilize the latest technology without it, Coggins said. Businesses need high-speed internet for security, operational functions and many other reasons, he said.

The study will identify various options for securing the broadband. There are some areas where it might be too expensive to lay cable because of the topography; antennas or satellites might be options, Coggins said.

The study also will look at different models of ownership, describing what it would take for the infrastructure to be rented out to service providers, or to create a regional utility provider to oversee it, Coggins said.

“We don’t know what is best yet, but this study will answer those questions,” Coggins said.

rfox@tribtoday.com