Ohio Governor Ted Strickland met with several public and private-sector leaders Thursday to discuss plans for a broadband network that would cover the entire state, and eventually the country.
Governor Strickland says giving all Ohioans access to broadband will take three years, and cost the state about two-point three million dollars a year.
The project is almost entirely state-funded, although the state is pursuing several private partnerships.
Strickland says such a network is vital to keeping Ohio on the forefront of education and medical research.
High-speed broadband transmission lines are used for everything from digital telephone service to cable television to high-speed internet. Today's announcement also served as the first stop of a nationwide tour by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Officials there hope to develop a similar network around the country.
