HANCOCK COUNTY, Ohio — It may seem like everyone has internet access these days but that's not the case, especially for some rural areas in northwest Ohio.
That's why one internet provider is working to make the connection.
Spectrum has a newly constructed fiber optic network that will help connect more than 1.75 million customers across 24 states, and that includes people in Ohio and Hancock County.
Throughout the day, lawmakers and Spectrum officials discussed the initiatives for getting people connected in rural communities.
"Telehealth services are essential and so it's important that for our businesses out here in the rural areas that they have access so they can communicate," U.S. Rep. Bob Latta, R-Bowling Green, said. "And then also for our farmers in the precision agriculture. When you think about broadband and how important it is, it's just like electricity today."
Latta said he is committed to leading the efforts to ensure people in rural communities are getting the internet services they need.
"On the agricultural side, it's also going to help our farmers be more productive," Latta said. "We want to make sure that we have broadband access across the country, and in my subcommittee, it's like the top priority."
Now Spectrum is connecting people with internet, mobile, TV and voice services to more than 700 homes and small businesses in many counties around the state and area, including Hancock County.
"In many ways, if we want to have people still call rural northwest Ohio home, we need to make sure that they have reliable broadband service," Ohio Sen. Rob McColley, R-Napoleon, said.
McColley said the efforts to expand rural broadband are looking bright.
"It's very likely that over the next several years, those who don't have reliable broadband access right now, in the next four to five years probably will have an option for reliable broadband access," McColley said. "The option is on the way and hopefully people will be able to capitalize on that very soon."