County to seek U.S. funds for wireless project

By D.a. Wilkinson

Plans to increase wireless use in Columbiana County suffered a setback.

SALEM — The Columbiana County Port Authority may turn to federal stimulus funding to finance its plans, including providing wireless access throughout the county.

Tracy Drake, the authority’s chief executive officer, said this week he would look for funds as proposed by President Barack Obama and U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Niles, D-17th.

Drake spoke after he voided a contract with B-Telecom Inc. of Chardon.

The authority in 2007 approved an agreement with the company that said it would create a data storage facility and computer assistance center at the authority’s trade park in Leetonia.

The building was erected, but the company never moved in.

As part of the plan, the authority borrowed $1.5 million to acquire two strands of fiber-optic cable. There are fiber-optic lines for high-speed data transmission and storage in Mahoning and Columbiana counties as well as other parts in Northeast Ohio.

B-Telecom was to use the cable for its programs and share revenue with the port authority.

The extension of fiber-optic lines would allow for secure storage at the trade park and fast retrieval of information.

Lines would branch off the fiber-optic network and extend to other portions of Columbiana County.

However, Drake said that with B-Telecom, “nothing was happening.”

Because Columbiana County is rural and the cost of running fiber-optic lines is expensive, some businesses and residents have trouble getting service.

Drake said that putting lines to poles about a mile apart would allow customers to have wireless high-speed connections. That could open up the county to high-tech companies that are a far cry from the county’s old steel and pottery industries.

Drake said he was going to first focus on obtaining the stimulus money to complete the project. He noted that in the past, the port authority has spent its money to develop projects — only to find later that other projects got government help and no money was left for the port.

However, the authority has been instrumental in bringing a $6 billion coal-to-liquid fuel plant to Wellsville. Ground clearing is to begin this spring.

The county commissioners have been compiling construction projects for possible funding with stimulus funds. Commissioner Penny Traina said she was unaware of any specific stimulus money available for the port’s project but said there may be federal funds for economic development projects.

Drake didn’t want to address any losses to the port now. Once funds are available for local use to increase the fiber-optic system, he said he will address the situation with B-Telcom.

wilkinson@vindy.com