Cleveland, OH -- Representative Marcia L. Fudge released the following statement on One Community's receipt of an $18.7 million grant to increase broadband usage in the Cleveland metropolitan area.

"I am pleased that the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has awarded $18.7 million to One Community for its Sustainable Broadband Adoption project. This is a wonderful example of Recovery Act funds being put to work for a greater good.

One Community may not be a household word, but this Cleveland based nonprofit organization is a leader with great reach and a proven ability to improve the lives of people in the 11th district and the economic vitality of the entire Northeast Ohio region.  The organization connects public and nonprofit institutions to an advanced fiber-optic network.  They provide services to schools, local governments, health care, arts and cultural groups and many other non profit organizations. 

This grant will enable the group to reach 334,000 low-income individuals and expand broadband internet service to underserved neighborhoods.  In addition, One Community proposes recruiting and training 90 unemployed or underemployed residents of targeted communities to work as members of a “CYC Corps” (Connect Your Community Corps) charged with teaching basic skills and building awareness of broadband technology in Akron, Cleveland and Zanesville, Ohio; Detroit, Michigan; Gulfport/Biloxi, Mississippi; Lexington Kentucky and Bradenton, Florida.  $3.1 million of the grant is allocated to Cleveland through a partnership with Cleveland Housing Network and is expected to create 20 jobs.

As a supporter of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, I look forward to even more progress bridging the digital divide through the stimulus program and the efforts of One Community."

For more background information, please refer to www.recovery.gov or www.broadbandusa.gov