We keep hearing renewed discussions and promises about development of broadband internet, particularly in rural areas of our Mahoning Valley.

In recent weeks, Mahoning County commissioners allocated $1.5 million of American Rescue Plan Act dollars to expand broadband services to underserved rural areas within the county.

The money will fund a project called ConnectMahoning that will expand broadband infrastructure to areas most in need, including areas within Springfield, Goshen, Milton, Jackson and Smith townships.

Money from the commissioners to fund ConnectMahoning will initially target areas within those five townships, Mahoning County commissioners explained in past weeks.

Eastgate Regional Council of Governments will manage the ConnectMahoning project by issuing a broadband request for proposals, selecting a provider and overseeing implementation of the system, the commissioners noted and The Vindicator reported.

“COVID-19 brought greater awareness of the importance of broadband for residents and businesses in Mahoning County with the increased need and reliance upon online learning, telehealth, remote work and more,” Mahoning County commissioners said in a prepared statement.

Bravo!

We are 100 percent behind this plan — frankly, any plan — to improve internet access.

But we, like all our neighbors in rural areas that struggle with connectivity, can’t help but express our frustration.

Here’s a recap of just a few headlines that have appeared on The Vindicator’s Opinion page in the past couple of years:

“It’s vital we make broadband access for all a priority” was the headline on the Sept. 27, 2020, editorial.

Feb. 22, 2021, the editorial headline was: “Broadband bill would improve online access.”

A month later, on March 21, 2021, we implored: “Broaden Valley broadband with Rescue Act funds.”

June 27, 2021, the editorial headline was this: “Restore funds for broadband in state budget.”

July 15, 2021, we said this: “We cannot afford to wait for broadband.”

May 15, 2022, we said: “No one can afford to wait for internet.”

Feb. 20 of this year, we followed up with: “BroadbandOhio brings us closer to equal access.”

And still, here we are.

Eastgate conducted a regional broadband feasibility study in 2021 and has been using the results as the blueprint to improve broadband throughout Mahoning, Trumbull and Ashtabula counties.

Indeed, living in a rural area should not mean limited access to important resources such as broadband connectivity. After all, this is America in 2023.

That 2021 Eastgate study had indicated that portions of our counties, including northern Trumbull and southern Mahoning, had zero broadband coverage. The study found 39,962 households in Mahoning, Trumbull and Ashtabula counties had no internet access. At the time, that was 18 percent of the three counties compared with 15 percent for the state of Ohio.

Also, several areas have slow coverage. Areas with lower population density experience lower broadband availability, and a lack of choice among broadband providers further impacts availability and affordability, according to one expert involved in the Eastgate study.

Undeniably, it is virtually impossible to conduct business or educate our youth without easy access to fast internet and Wi-Fi service. Its vital role in helping many people survive the COVID-19 pandemic relatively unscathed further underscores its importance.

Businesses hoping to relocate to a region certainly will be discouraged by such large swaths of properties where internet access is less than acceptable, or worse, nonexistent.

And according to Jim Kinnick, Eastgate executive director, it’s not only rural areas in dire need of improved internet access; many urban areas remain underserved as well. Kinnick previously had told our reporters studies show Youngstown ranks second-worst in broadband accessibility among communities of 5,000 or more in the state, and Warren ranks fifth-worst in Ohio.

Undoubtedly, usage of a new system would be in high demand, transforming our Valley and preparing it for future growth and economic development.

That’s why we can’t help but express our frustration as we continue to hear discussions and plans for new broadband development — still, it never seems to get here.

“Having completed our study and developed our plan, we’re now excited about bringing broadband to those underserved areas as we implement ConnectMahoning,” Kinnick said recently.

Yes, we, too, are thrilled to hear that.

Just pardon our skepticism and impatience at the seemingly never-ending discussions and painfully slow progress.

We just can’t afford to wait.

editorial@vindy.com