Michigan

Eric Frederick joined the state of Michigan to lead the Michigan High-Speed Internet Office in July 2022 after spending 12 years at a non-profit that was trying to expand broadband across the country. Since then, the office has expanded and now has two verticals—the digital equity team and the infrastructure data team.

The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity’s Michigan High-Speed Internet Office is advancing efforts to extend broadband coverage to every home, business, and community anchor institution across Michigan with the announcement of the preliminary results of the first project application period for the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program.

Carney (MI)-based UP Fiber said it will acquire AT&T’s wireline assets in the Upper Peninsula. The move means Michigan Broadband Services will provide sales, marketing, billing and technical support to AT&T customers after the close of the transaction. The AT&T wireline assets represent more than 9,000 miles of copper, 1,500 miles of business fiber, and network infrastructure across 40 wire centers that collectively provide voice and internet service to more than 9,000 residential and business customers, according to a recent news release from the company.

The Michigan High-Speed Internet Office awarded nearly $10.6 million to 13 organizations who will serve as regional hubs providing digital skills training, device distribution programs, online accessibility, access to affordable broadband service and other activities. The Michigan Inclusive Training, Technology and Equity Network program aims to bridge the digital divide by establishing regional resource hubs to provide essential support for digital inclusion.

Internet connections on Beaver Island (MI) can be hit or miss, and it often depends on whether you can get a cell signal. For years, residents of remote Beaver Island more than 30 miles offshore from the mainland in northern Lake Michigan have said they want better internet access. They specifically want fiber-optic connections to every home, business, and community gathering place. That destination is becoming visible on the horizon.

An interactive map shows how much progress Internet providers have made building out high-speed broadband across Washtenaw County (MI). Several Internet providers have been connecting more homes and businesses with fiber optic cable. Some addresses are up and running. Some residents can expect to be hooked up soon and other work is ongoing.

Northeast Michigan lacks efficient broadband access, but projects both on a national and local scale aim to change that and spur economic development efforts in the Alpena area. Erik Frederick, chief connectivity officer at the Michigan High Speed Internet Office, is leading the efforts to connect everyone to the internet from city to countryside in Michigan.

Brightspeed says that it has received $238 million in local, state, and federal grants and funds. The money, the company says, will expand the number of addresses passed by planned projects by 121,000 in 14 states. Brightspeed, which is based in North Carolina, says that it will continue to pursue state and federal grants. The funding:

The Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity’s (LEO) Michigan High-Speed Internet Office (MIHI) is advancing efforts to bridge the digital divide with the announcement of the project application period for the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program. Starting Jan. 9, internet service providers, communities and eligible participants will have the opportunity to submit project applications to bring high-speed internet to unserved and underserved locations across Michigan.