“Someone in China ...if they have 1 gig to their door and we have 1 gig here to our door, it’d be like working with the person in the same room,” Staten says.

Staten says the city hopes to attract businesses and residents with the improvements. The service would also extend to the Bath-Fairlawn-Akron Joint Economic Development District.

City Council still needs to approve the plan so the city can look for partners. Staten says the mayor hopes to create the project with no tax hikes using a public-private partnership.

Staten says residents would have to pay a fee for service, but it would be comparable to current internet rates.