ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Among the new additions at the Belmont County Fairgrounds is broadband internet access.

Belmont GIG, a subsidiary of Ohio GIG, finished installing fiber optic lines beneath the fairgrounds. Matt Mowrer, information technology administrator and sound engineer for the fairgrounds, pointed out the fiber is laid under the hill and the concrete around the show area.

“Belmont GIG installed the fiber optic cable. It’s providing the internet services. Working in conjunction with the fair board, the board installed several wifi access points for different sale and office use applications. Several of the programs that the Junior Fair Livestock Sale Committee and the Junior Fair office use to keep track of animals at the fair and placements during the shows required internet access, and we were able to work with Belmont GIG, bring that connectivity down to the barn area, which is something that’s new this year,” Mowrer said. “I was the system architect, so I worked with Belmont GIG to understand what they were able to deliver to us, and knowing that, I designed the system that connects in the different buildings that provides the services that are currently in use, and then the growth to expand that in years to come.”

He said the infrastructure is chiefly used by fair administration at this point, but he expects that to change in the coming years.

“It’s been reasonably quiet. We’ve intended to keep it that way this year. We’re hoping to continue to build in future years, to have more capacity, and then that will allow us to open it up for more people and more services to take advantage of the connectivity,” he said. “It’s very fast. It’s very good bandwidth. It allows us to produce a high-definition livestream.”

Mowrer added the board has been able to livestream showings on its YouTube channel and Facebook page.

He said the streams should be publicly available by the main livestock show Thursday.

“We’re looking to get a few more pieces ironed out, then make it publicly available so that anyone on the grounds, on the campgrounds, at home, around the country would be able to access a link and be able to watch the shows remotely,” he said. “We haven’t had a whole lot of comments yet just because it’s not well known. We’re working to get a couple of the kinks ironed out and make it available for everyone to see, but it is here. This is capability that having fiber internet has brought to us enough bandwidth to do something like this in this facility. … When it’s ready, we will make sure everyone knows how to get it.”

Mowrer said he anticipates more buyers to show an interest in observing the showings online.

“This year, for 2023 we’re starting to just develop the capability. Next year in 2024 we hope to have it much more filled out throughout the barn area. Folks will know about it much more widely then, and we expect it will have a growing impact on the next several years,” he said. “It is a big step forward for us, and it’s something that, as it becomes more and more available, we’ll find more and more uses for it, so this will drive new things at the fairground and some innovation and new activities and opportunities just by having this connectivity.”

Jane Keyser, a volunteer with the fair board office, said internet access has been valuable in the management of the fair and sales.

“It has expedited and made the process a little more efficient. We’re able to enter things on the computer right at weigh-in,” she said. “The goal is to be able to do results ringside, and we’re able to publish things instantly on the internet, Facebook and social media. It’s a lot easier than having to input things more than once.”

Fair board President Ed Campbell said the connectivity has promise.

“I think some of them who do a little bit of business out here has been taking part in it. I think it’s coming around. Everybody’s just starting to figure it out,” he said.