Nearly 1 million Ohioans are still stuck without reliable high-speed internet, leaving students, small businesses, and patients on the wrong side of the digital divide. A bipartisan push in Washington would order a federal look at whether satellite internet, now faster and cheaper than it used to be, can finally reach the state’s hardest-to-wire corners, especially in Appalachian Ohio.
Rep. Dave Taylor introduced the Expanding Appalachia’s Broadband Access Act and pushed it through committee and the House floor this spring, arguing that his rural district has been “left behind” by traditional fiber projects. A press release from his office says the measure would trigger a federal review of satellite broadband as a practical option for southern and eastern Ohio, and notes that the bill cleared the House by voice vote on March 24, according to Rep. Dave Taylor’s office.
What the GAO Would Study
The bill would require the Comptroller General to deliver a report to Congress not later than one year after enactment on the Appalachian Regional Commission’s ability to incorporate low-orbit satellites into broadband projects, according to GovInfo. It directs the Government Accountability Office to review satellite capacity for business use, evaluate economic outcomes in places that have already adopted satellite service, and analyze cost-effectiveness compared with fiber and fixed wireless. Those scoped questions form the core of the measure’s test of whether satellites belong in the ARC toolkit.
Why Satellites Are Being Considered
Supporters say low-Earth-orbit satellite systems can sidestep Appalachia’s steep hills and long last-mile runs that make fiber installation prohibitively expensive, offering a faster path to usable broadband for businesses and community anchors. Industry and policy outlets note that some states have already begun including satellite options in BEAD planning and pilot projects, and this study could clear the way for federal and ARC funding to support such deployments, according to the Benton Institute.
How Many Ohioans Could Benefit
State documents and outreach note that more than 300,000 Ohio households, roughly close to 1 million people, still lack access to high-speed service, which makes homework, telehealth, and job training harder to get in many communities. Those figures come from InnovateOhio and are documented in ServeOhio. Cleveland.com reports that Senators Jon Husted and Angela Alsobrooks introduced a companion measure in the Senate, underscoring bipartisan interest in a follow-up.
What’s Next
The House has already passed Taylor’s measure by voice vote on March 24, and sponsors are now pressing the Senate to move on a companion or similar bill. If enacted, the GAO would have one year to deliver its report. A favorable finding could open a policy path for the Appalachian Regional Commission, and potentially BEAD subgrantees, to use satellite options in future projects. That would not instantly wire every valley, but advocates say it could unlock faster, cheaper solutions where fiber is simply impractical. For the bill text and timeline, see GovInfo and recent coverage by BroadbandBreakfast.
Local officials and rural business groups have welcomed the study, saying it finally acknowledges that conventional fiber is not always realistic in mountainous counties. “Southern Ohio has long been a broadband desert,” Rep. Taylor said in a statement released by his office as per Rep. Dave Taylor’s office.
