PATRIOT — High speed internet availability was recently expanded to the communities of Cheshire, Mercerville, Patriot and Vinton in Gallia County and Arabia-Waterloo in Lawrence County through a public-private partnership between the state of Ohio and AT&T.

Officials were on hand for the announcement Monday at Taylor Made Countertops located on Ohio 141 near Patriot, a small business that will see direct results thanks to the availability of broadband internet.

“It definitely is a good thing,” said Phil Taylor, owner and operator of Taylor Made Countertops.

Taylor purchases solid surface, an acrylic material used to make his custom countertops, from an out-of-state manufacturer that has increasingly moved its sales online and even offers discounts for buyers who purchase over the internet.

“Dial-up (Internet) takes so long that I don’t usually have time to do it,” Taylor said.

He won’t have to worry about that anymore as a high-speed connection is now readily available in his area. Residents within three miles of those four central locations can now hook in to these connections. Four broadband packages are available for purchase, ranging from approximately $20 to $35 in cost per month.

Residents who are still unable to connect to high-speed internet may be able to benefit from WildBlue, which is also affiliated with AT&T. WildBlue provides broadband via satellite focusing on areas with little or no access to a high-speed connection.

Kingsley Meyer of the University of Rio Grande/Rio Grande Community College explained that the laws of physics make it difficult to provide broadband due to the geography of the rural area in which we live.

“The expanse of rural areas combined with the geography makes delivering high-speed broadband and wireless cellular coverage a challenge,” added B.J. Smith, director of external affairs at AT&T. “These beautiful hills and valleys that we enjoy in southern Ohio also present a particular challenge in providing wireless coverage, but AT&T is continuously investing in its network to expand these services to customers.”

In a press release issued by AT&T on Monday, AT&T Ohio President Tom Pelto credited State Sen. John Carey and State Rep. Clyde Evans with paving the way to bring this technology to southern Ohio communities.

“To compete and grow in today’s marketplace, businesses need the high speed internet access that broadband provides. At home and in school, advanced technologies such as AT&T’s broadband offerings can add real value to how we live and learn,” Carey said in the release.

“I’m pleased that our efforts in the General Assembly have assisted consumers in these and other areas of Ohio to have access to these new technologies,” he added.

“Access to advanced technologies, such as broadband, is mandatory for economic development, jobs, and education in rural areas,” Evans said in the release. “We need to continue to work together to provide these opportunities to our businesses and households in these communities and in communities across our state.”

AT&T has made a commitment to expand broadband technology to southern Ohio communities and currently serves 15 counties in Appalachian Ohio. Deployment began in 2002 with Gallipolis and Rio Grande becoming the first areas to obtain access in Gallia.

“The service we now have available here is the latest technology and is an example of what public/private partnerships can accomplish,” said Gallia County Commissioners President Justin Fallon. “The need for high speed internet is essential out here in rural areas so that our children have access for educational purposes and so that small businesses are able to expand their reach.”

Fred Deel of the Governor’s Office of Appalachia added that this endeavor fits in with Gov. Ted Strickland’s efforts to extend public/private partnerships and the initiatives of Connect Ohio.

“We’re pleased that AT&T has stepped forward to light this place up,” Deel said. We’re excited about the extension of broadband to a larger area and the economic impact it’s going to have on the region. Our goal is to expand throughout Ohio, especially the Appalachian region.”

More information on internet availability can be found online at www.att.com or by calling (800) ATT-2020.