EATON — City residents could soon have fiber optic broadband service available at their homes and businesses.
Omni Fiber, based in Cincinnati, presented information to Eaton City Council during its Monday, May 15, meeting.
According to the presentation, the company is seeking to invest $5 million in Eaton, by “deploying a world-class network infrastructure that will expand broadband capabilities, and is looking to partner with local authorities to expedite the investment, minimize disruption during construction, and uncover other opportunities to support the community.”
Omni Fiber’s investment doesn’t require any federal, state or local funding, company officials noted.
According to the presentation, Omni Fiber was founded in 2022 “to fill the gap that traditional telephone and cable companies have left in small and mid-size cities in the Midwest.” The company claims two to five times faster download speeds than cable, and the same upload and download speeds, making upload speeds up to 50 times faster than cable. According to the presentation, “fiber is more reliable than cable and offers many advantages when it comes to consistency and performance.”
OmniFiber says the company will be offering unlimited data service with no contracts and hidden fees, free installation and other benefits.
As OmniFiber is installed in phases across the city, homes and businesses in the completed areas will be able to come online. Pre-construction will begin in June. The first phase of construction is slated for August, and the service could be available to homes in the area this fall.
Council also:
•Approved an ordinance establishing a Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area in downtown Eaton. The approved ordinance and application for a DORA will now be sent to the Ohio Department of Commerce Division of Liquor Control for approval and should be available later this summer. The DORA’s boundaries will be from the intersection of W. Main and Beech Streets to the intersection of N. Maple and E. Main Streets and the intersection of N. Barron and Somers Street, to the intersection of S. Barron and Wadsworth Streets, according to city officials.
•Held a public hearing for, and the first reading of, an ordinance changing the zoning at 501 Nation Ave. from I-1 Light Industrial to O/I Office and Institutional. The Eaton Planning Board issued a favorable recommendation for the change at its April 11 meeting, according to officials.
•Held a second reading for and approved an ordinance regarding the final plan for a planned unit development which will be known as George Town Village.
Reach Eddie Mowen Jr. at 937-683-4061 and follow on Twitter @emowenjr.
