S.B. No. 199 Summary

• Establishes the Ohio Broadband Development Grant Program administered by the Director of Development Services to fund broadband infrastructure construction in unserved areas of the state.

• Eligible applicants include private businesses, political subdivisions, nonprofit entities, and cooperatives organized to provide telecommunications services.

• Grant awards may not exceed the lesser of 50% of total project cost or $5 million, with priority given to projects serving economically distressed areas, community institutions, and leveraging additional funding.

• Appropriates $50 million for fiscal years 2018 and 2019, with $1 million annually designated for independent organizations to collect broadband data, verify coverage, create state broadband maps, and conduct adoption surveys.

• Director must adopt administrative rules governing application and grant-award processes and may deny applications if existing broadband providers credibly commit to serve the project area within 24 months at federal benchmark speeds.