Gov. Mike DeWine and the Ohio General Assembly are looking at ways to bring broadband access to the nearly 1 million resident of the Buckeye State who lack a high speed connection — an issue that came to the forefront during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lack of access is a major concern in rural areas such as Tuscarawas County. DeWine and Lt. Gov. Jon Husted are recommending that the legislature spend $290 million toward broadband expansion in the next two-year state budget. The investment would establish a one-time, $250 million initiative, the Ohio Residential Broadband Grant Program, to expand access across the state in 2022 and 2023.