Millions invested to expand Michigan broadband access

NEWS RELEASES

CONGRESSMAN BART STUPAK 1ST CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT OF MICHIGAN

U.S. SENATORS CARL LEVIN AND DEBBIE STABENOW

************************** Northern Michigan broadband grant to create, retain 946 jobs

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Congressman Stupak Bart Stupak (D-Menominee) announced 20 counties in Michigan’s First Congressional District will benefit from a $69.6 million infrastructure grant to extend a statewide fiber-optic network to underserved counties in northern Michigan.  

The project is expected to create or retain 946 jobs. 

The grant was awarded to Merit Network Inc. by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) broadband technology opportunities program (BTOP) as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), or economic stimulus.

“Increasing access to broadband services in underserved areas throughout northern Michigan enhances educational opportunities for students, makes businesses more competitive and allows health care and public safety agencies to do their jobs more effectively,” Stupak said. “This project will provide immediate benefits by creating and retaining construction and service jobs while also providing opportunities for economic development in a region of our state with limited access to broadband.”

The grant will fund the second phase of the REACH Michigan Middle Mile Collaborative project, allowing for the addition of 1,275 miles of fiber optic network through northern lower Michigan and the Upper Peninsula, with spurs connecting to networks in Green Bay, Wisconsin and Duluth, Minnesota. 

This network will serve businesses, households and institutions including libraries, universities, community colleges and community health centers. 

The project will make broadband more easily available to 733,000 households and 49,000 businesses. 

This grant builds on a grant awarded to Merit earlier this year to expand service in lower and mid Michigan.

In the First Congressional District, the project will directly impact Alcona, Alpena, Cheboygan, Crawford, Iosco, Montmorency, Ogemaw, Oscoda, Otsego and Presque Isle Counties in the northern Lower Peninsula and Chippewa, Delta, Dickinson, Gogebic, Houghton, Iron, Mackinac, Menominee, Ontonagon and Schoolcraft Counties in the Upper Peninsula. 

The project will also impact Kalkaska, Kent, Lake, Mecosta, Missaukee, Montcalm, Newaygo, Roscommon and Wexford Counties outside the First District.

“This project is an excellent example of the tremendous job creation impact that can be realized when we invest in expanding broadband access to underserved rural areas,” Stupak said.

The BTOP provides grants to support the deployment of broadband infrastructure in un-served and underserved areas; enhance and expand public computer centers; and, encourage sustainable adoption of broadband service. 

These investments help bridge the technological divide, boost economic growth and create jobs.

************************** Levin, Stabenow announce tens of millions for massive expansions in broadband Internet access across Michigan

Funds made available by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

WASHINGTON — Communities across Michigan will soon have access to enhanced broadband Internet, thanks to three major federal recovery grants that will create jobs across the state, Sens. Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow, both D-Mich., announced today.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) broadband technology opportunities program grants are made possible by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

“Residents across the Upper and Lower Peninsula will soon reap the benefits of these tens of millions of dollars in federal grants, creating jobs today and providing critical broadband Internet access to schools, businesses, libraries, local governments and research institutions across the state,” Levin said. “These major grants will create many jobs and are a testament to the potential our communities can reach with these broadband tools.”

“This funding will help create jobs across our state by connecting our businesses, colleges, universities, local communities, and school districts to affordable broadband internet access,” said Stabenow. “Making sure our communities have access to broadband services is essential to growing our economy and investing in our future.”

Merit Network, Inc. of Ann Arbor will receive $69,639,291 to construct a 1,210-mile fiber network to offer speeds between 100 megabytes-per-second and 10 gigabytes-per-second in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, with connections to the Lower Peninsula as well as Green Bay, Wisc., and Duluth, Minn.

Bloomingdale Communications, Inc. of Bloomingdale will receive $5,646,473 for a 147-mile network in Van Buren County to provide speeds between 10 Mbps and 1 Gbps.

Michigan State University will receive $6,056,819 for its efforts to upgrade 170 public computing centers and creating about 40 new centers in the south-central Michigan region at colleges, local libraries, public housing developments and within other community support organizations.

For more information on these grants, visit www.ntia.doc.gov/broadbandusa.

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