Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted (OH-R), who is also Director of the Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation (OWT), awarded four training providers located throughout the state with $592,215 to support 410 broadband or 5G-related credentials through the Individual Microcredential Assistance Program (IMAP). This is the third round of the initiative, which helps Ohioans who are low income, partially unemployed, or totally unemployed participate in a training program and receive one or more credential(s) for free. The selected providers—which include two four-year universities, a career center, and a joint vocational school district—will be reimbursed up to $3,000 for each completed technology-focused credential issued. The most recent round of IMAP provided funding specifically for credentialing programs is a part of a larger effort by OWT and BroadbandOhio to grow the workforce needed to expand broadband access and 5G in Ohio. The “Strengthening Ohio’s Broadband & 5G Workforce” Strategy, lays out a plan for filling the estimated 1,250 jobs needed to expand broadband access and the 32,000 jobs needed to deploy 5G across Ohio. Training will be offered in-person and online, allowing Ohioans to take advantage of the program from anywhere in the state.

T-Mobile has been advised to stop implying that a consumer can save up to 50% on their home internet services compared to major competitors like Verizon. The recommendation comes from the National Advertising Division (NAD) of the Better Business Bureau (BBB) National Programs. Verizon was the one that raised the issue with the organization, which provides dispute resolution services. In big letters, it says “Save Up to 50%.” Underneath that in smaller lettering – and probably noticeable only if you have a way to stop the commercial for a closer look – it shows the comparison to the National FCC Broadband Urban Broadband Rate Benchmark. Upon analyzation, the NAD determined that T-Mobile's reference to the "FCC Urban Broadband Rate Survey" does not represent the actual price that any consumers pay, but rather is a benchmark rate set by the FCC to ensure equitable pricing for rural areas. Further NAD stated that the benchmark rate derived from this survey is not a good fit for the challenged savings claim. NAD also determined that the “Up to 50%” savings claim is unsupported because few consumers are paying the $105 a month that T-Mobile uses as its basis for comparison from the FCC’s benchmark rates. T-Mobile told NAD that it will take its advise into account in future advertising and that T-Mobile remains a supporter of the self-regulatory process that NAD oversees.