If Summit County Council approves later this month, the first phase of what could eventually become a nearly half a billion dollar broadband expansion project will soon get underway.

As envisioned now, the project could one day both improve emergency communications and other government operations, as well as help county residents who don't currently have access to reliable and affordable broadband connections, finally bridge the “digital divide”.

But, as you'll hear today, though, the $57 million dollar first phase of the “Summit Connects” project is more limited in scope.

Listen now, as Summit County Executive, Ilene Shapiro, and her Chief of Staff, Brian Nelson, talk about why they want to use a mix of local and federal funds to build a125-mile fiber optic cable ring connecting Summit County and all its 31 city, village and township governments to gigabit speed internet service, and to build a new high tech county data center.