GEAUGA COUNTY, Ohio — D.S. Cakes and Sweet Café does more than just satisfy your sweet tooth.
It also serves as a hub for people like Laura Hanley to stay connected in desperate times.
“Our internet was out this morning, and I work from home,” said Hanley.
With limited places to go, the town’s local café shop thankfully came to Hanley’s rescue.
“It makes us feel great that we have other options for people to utilize when they come in here,” said Kendra Rockow.
Still, Hanley says having reliable internet access is critical.
“I think that they really need to invest out here and give us what we need to be successful,” said Hanley.
Northeast Regional President Susan Schraibman says Kinetic by Windstream is answering that call.
“When we speak to our customers about what really matters most, they really tell us that they really wanted to be connected to the benefits that fiber brings them,” said Schraibman.
During Friday’s Celebration of Fiber Expansion in Newbury Township, Schraibman says the company is now providing high-speed fiber internet service to 3,400 homes in Newbury and South Russell after one year of deployment.
Schraibman also says the company has invested more than $2 billion in their fiber network expansion, which State Senator Jerry says is an important technological upgrade.
“The objective of bringing internet to the rural parts of Ohio is something that has been discussed in Columbus both by the Governor’s office as well as by the legislature for a couple of years now, and so I think this is a great start,” said State Senator Jerry Cirino, representing Ohio’s 18th District.
Laura Hanley says she still doesn't have access to Kinetic’s services but:
“If Kinetic would come down our street, we would change in a heartbeat to give it a try,” said Hanley.
As of Friday, officials at Kinetic by Windstream say more than 112,000 customers are eligible for fiber internet service in Ohio.
More than 50,000 of those are right here in Northeast Ohio. They hope to serve more people like Hanley soon.
Meanwhile, West Geauga Local Schools tell News 5 they support Kinetic by Windstream's expansion.
Officials say some families in their district live in rural areas like Newbury, and don’t have access to cellular reception or online connectivity, so they say it’s great the company is expanding because it’s a big need.
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