Staff Writer
ST. CLAIRSVILLE The need for internet access has become all the more evident during the COVID-19 pandemic that has forced more people to work and learn from home.
State lawmakers such as Ohio Sen. Frank Hoagland, R-Mingo Junction, have been focusing on the broadband question and consulting with the Federal Communications Commission. However, initiatives to expand and improve access remain in planning stages.
Hoagland said he continues to look at factors such as how to allocate funding for a project that best suits the local area’s needs.
“We’ve learned quite a bit since we’ve had the shutdowns and the modifications of our daily routines,” he said. “We’ve now become much more reliant on our main form of communication, either cellular or through some form of a broadband connectivity, and this has impacted our school systems and our telehealth programs.”