Galion will sit directly along a new high-capacity broadband route stretching across northern Ohio in the coming years, part of a $20 million state investment designed to strengthen internet infrastructure along the U.S. Route 30 corridor.
Gov. Mike DeWine and BroadbandOhio have announced the Route 30 Middle-Mile Infrastructure Project, which will fund construction of an east-west fiber network following one of northern Ohio’s major transportation and economic corridors. Com Net, Inc. will receive $20 million to build the network, which will cross 15 Ohio counties along the highway.
Building The Internet’s Backbone
The project is focused on what is known as “middle-mile” infrastructure. Unlike the final broadband connection running directly to a home or business, middle-mile fiber carries large amounts of data between communities and the broader internet. It functions much like a highway system for broadband traffic, providing the capacity that local internet providers can then use to reach individual customers. That distinction is important for communities such as Galion.
Adding high-capacity fiber along Route 30 can make it easier and less expensive for internet service providers to expand their own networks, potentially opening the door to greater competition, improved reliability, and additional high-speed options for homes and businesses.
“Reliable high-speed internet starts with having the right infrastructure,” DeWine said. “This project will significantly improve connectivity for those living and working along Route 30, providing easier access to the online tools that are necessary in today’s economy.”
Following A Major Northern Ohio Corridor
Route 30 crosses northern Ohio from the Pennsylvania line to the Indiana border, passing through or near communities ranging from the Youngstown area in the east to northwestern Ohio. Along the way, the corridor runs near schools, colleges and universities, healthcare facilities, local governments, businesses, industrial areas, and other major institutions.
The project places cities directly on a broadband infrastructure investment that also connects with Mansfield and the broader north-central Ohio region. State officials are framing the project not simply as an internet-access initiative but as economic infrastructure.
“We’re building the infrastructure that will help communities along Route 30 compete, grow, and attract new investment,” Ohio Department of Development Director Lydia Mihalik said. “By strengthening one of northern Ohio’s key economic corridors, we’re creating new possibilities for businesses and communities from one side of the state to the other.”
Mansfield Will Become The Key Connection Point
The project includes a new Point of Presence, commonly called a PoP, serving Mansfield Lahm Air National Guard Base and its 179th Cyberspace Wing. A PoP is essentially a major access point where users and networks can connect to the fiber system. The Mansfield connection is intended to increase network capacity for the military installation while also supporting nearby industrial and commercial development, including Mansfield Industrial Park.
That makes the Route 30 project particularly relevant, where improved digital capacity could become another piece of the region’s infrastructure for attracting and retaining employers.
Schools, Libraries And Healthcare Facilities Could Benefit
The project will also create state-controlled fiber capacity that could be made available to community institutions. OARnet, Ohio’s statewide research and education network, will oversee the state’s use of fiber capacity provided through the project. Eligible schools, libraries, healthcare facilities, and other public institutions may also be able to use that capacity.
Com Net will be required to make the new middle-mile infrastructure commercially available for at least 20 years, allowing other providers and organizations to potentially connect to the network rather than creating a closed system.
A Two-Year Construction Window
Ohio created the Route 30 Middle-Mile Infrastructure Project through House Bill 96, the state’s current biennial budget. The work will include construction of the fiber network itself, connections with major anchor tenants, and additional infrastructure intended to improve reliability.
Once construction begins, Com Net will have 24 months to complete the network. The result will be something largely invisible from the surface but increasingly important to economic development: a new high-capacity digital corridor running alongside the highway that has connected the city to northern Ohio for generations.
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