LANSING, Mich. — A $61 million grant will be aimed at improving high speed internet access for underserved communities across Michigan.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced Friday that the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) awarded the grant to Peninsula Fiber Network (PFN).
The grant is being awarded with funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), and will help make sure residents of Michigan have access to quality internet no matter where they live.
NTIA's Middle Mile Broadband Infrastructure Grant Program and will place 535 miles of new middle-mile fiber through communities across the state.
“From St. Joseph to Houghton, we are working to ensure every Michigander has access to quality, affordable high-speed internet,” said Governor Whitmer. “I am proud of Michigan-based Peninsula Fiber Network for securing critical funding to connect more people to high-speed internet. Since I took office, we have expanded access to 23,000 more families and small businesses so students can connect with their teachers, people can access health care services, and companies can grow. We will keep working together to expand access to high-speed internet so everyone can ‘make it’ in Michigan.”
The plan for the project is to construct undersea routes between Charlevoix to Beaver Island to Guilliver in the UP, and Benton Harbor to Chicago as well as overland fiber routes connecting Charlevoix to Grayling, Port Huron to Flint and Benton Harbor to Grand Rapids.
“With access to affordable, high-speed internet as our tool, we can connect more Michiganders to economic opportunity,” said Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist II. "Today’s $61 million Middle Mile award will help ensure that no matter where you live in Michigan, you can learn, work, and connect with others through high-speed internet."
The project will address the unique middle-mile fiber needs of Michigan’s two-peninsula state. The additional middle mile capacity will help provide lower costs and faster speeds for last-mile deployments while improving reliability and redundancy for existing networks across the state.
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel.
Watch 13 ON YOUR SIDE for free on Roku, Amazon Fire TV Stick, and on your phone.
