Branch County teams up with Frontier to build high-speed internet system

BRANCH COUNTY — Branch County has selected Frontier North Inc. as its partner to build high-speed broadband internet service for under-served areas of the county.

County Administrator Bud Norman said there are many details to be worked out before an actual contract can be signed.

The 2020 census showed 86% of county resident had internet service, but the COVID-19 lockdown revealed that less than 35% of internet users had adequate speeds and service for educational and business use.

At the last working meeting of the year on Dec. 20, commissioners reviewed three of seven bid presentations.

The commission then unanimously voted for Frontier over Spectrum/Charter Communications, and Lansing-based ACD.Net, the company that built the state’s Merit fiber trunk system for educational services.

MorePublic-private partnership proposed to build Branch County-wide broadband internet

Frontier offered more customer connection at a similar cost as the other two.

With projected costs between $46 million and $53 million, Branch County would need to receive a state grant to subsidize the construction. The county has discussed using part of the $8.4 million it received from the American Rescue Plan Act as its contribution.

The Realizing Opportunity with Broadband Infrastructure Networks grant, otherwise known as ROBIN, will receive applications in January for $238.7 million available in Michigan for the expansion of internet infrastructure in un-served locations.

There are other grants to provide high-speed service. The federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment, known as the BEAD Program, provides $42.45 billion to expand high-speed internet access by funding planning and infrastructure deployment throughout all 50 states.

Frontier was the only company to offer coverage to all 1,017 miles of roadways in the county with 12,972 potential locations, even those already served by current providers, including Spectrum.

As the successor to the local Bell Telephone system, Frontier already has right-of-way for all of the county. While it does have some fiber, much of its current rural services are still copper wire cable.

Frontier expects to spend $32 million and would require $21.35 million from the county, from grants or other funding. It proposed $59.99 a month for one gigabyte service.

Spectrum currently serves 13 communities in Branch County with both fiber and its coax cable. It planned to build 740 miles of fiber for $45 million to serve about half the number of new customers than Frontier offered to serve. Spectrum expected the county to fund $22.5 million. Spectrum proposed to charge $119.99 per month for the 1 gig service.

ACD.Net would have built a fiber system along 616 miles to serve 5,517 under-served locations. The company asked for $6.6 million from the county. ACD.Net would spend $8.7 million with $35.7 million from other sources such as grants. Its proposed monthly 1 gig charge would be $69.95.

All three also proposed speeds slower than 1 gigabyte.

Norman said the capital investments needed from both parties “was contingent upon how well you do as a grant. There's not a set amount for a grant.”

If ARPA money is used, it must be committed by 2024 and spent by 2026.

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Commissioner Jon Houtz questioned if there would be a timetable to serve all under-served locations and a possible penalty for not meeting the deadline.

“My only concern was if we do partner with Frontier, we need to look at that in the future,” he said.

“They have access to utility poles and that kind of stuff," Chairman Tim Stoll said. "That may accelerate how quickly they're able to cover the county with broadband.”

Frontier and the county will now apply for the grants. Contracts will come after federal/state funding is determined.

Coldwater Board of Public Utilities provides 1 gigabyte fiber service to its customers. The county hopes to see that speed available county-wide with fiber to each premises. 

— Contact Don Reid: dReid@Gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter: @DReidTDR.

This article originally appeared on Coldwater Daily Reporter: Branch County teams up with Frontier to build high-speed internet system