State seeks input on high-speed internet options in rural areas

Don Reid, Coldwater Daily Reporter
·2 min read

BRANCH COUNTY — State officials want to know just how bad internet services are in Branch County.

There is over $1.8 billion in funding for Michigan to close the digital divide in the state from the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment and State Digital Equity Planning Grant Programs, known as the BEAD program. A hearing set for 2-4 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 31, at the Dearth Community Center is aimed at getting more information.

“We want to understand what is keeping residents from accessing the internet or from subscribing to the internet in their home," said Allie Herkenroder, digital equity director for the Michigan High-Speed Internet Office.

Rural townships like California rely on an antenna for wire; less broadband to connect for elections.
Rural townships like California rely on an antenna for wire; less broadband to connect for elections.

Herkenroder said the first part of the meeting will explain the BEAD funds, which won’t be allocated until 2024. The second half will be for gathering public input.

“We are getting more residents' input to be able to invest those dollars into each community effectively and equitably,” Herkenroder said.

The Coldwater meeting is one of 40 over 270 days across the state.

The equity director said they want to hear from those without service, but also those who can report concerns of few choices in internet service providers in a given area.

The office also wants to hear from residents who say, “maybe I have multiple service providers to choose from, but I don't have a lot of options that fit the speeds that my family needs,” Herkenroder explained. 

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

Branch County partnered with Frontier Communication to look at providing high-speed internet services in the county. They are applying for a grant awarded this spring. Called the ROBIN grant for realizing opportunities for broadband infrastructure networks, “that is specifically targeted toward areas that are considered to be unserved or underserved by the by the FCC.”

Those are for broadband with 25 megabytes per second upload speeds and three megabytes per second download speeds.

The BEAD and other programs will look at high speeds similar to the one gigabyte now provided in Coldwater by the Board of Public Utilities.

Urban areas in Branch County are served by fiber optic high-speed internet services from several companies.
Urban areas in Branch County are served by fiber optic high-speed internet services from several companies.

All three proposals considered by Branch County commissioners projected the cost of high-speed internet to serve all or most of Branch County would cost between $46 and $53 million.

“We want as many Michiganders as possible to share their unique perspectives about how the internet or lack thereof impacts their daily lives," Herkenroder said.

Subscribe Follow progress on high-speed internet. Subscribe to the Daily Reporter.

The project looks at the impact of improving education, powering the economy and strengthening healthcare as well as quality of life.

The Tuesday meeting will be at the Dearth Community Center, 262 S. Sprague St.

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

This article originally appeared on Coldwater Daily Reporter: State holds high-speed internet hearing on Coldwater Tuesday as it gets ready to split up federal funding