Michigan plans to hand out more than $200 million in federal taxpayer funds for grants to provide high-speed internet access to underserved areas.
The Michigan High Speed Internet Office announced the first round of the Realizing Opportunity with Broadband Infrastructure Networks grants, awarding $203 million to more than 70,000 Michigan homes and businesses to connect them with faster internet.
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Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has announced plans to spend billions of federal tax dollars to increase high-speed internet access in the state.
The governor issued Executive Directive 2021-12 Monday, designed to expand access to high-speed internet in Michigan. The programs will be funded from money the state is anticipated to receive from the recently passed Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
Attempts to “bridge the digital divide” have been implemented through federal and state programs since the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) initiated its National Broadband Plan in 2010, with money from the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Michigan has allocated additional federal funds, including:
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Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has issued Executive Directive 2021-02, which will establish the Michigan High-Speed Internet Office (MIHI) with the intent of improving costs and access to high-speed internet.
The governor pointed to the ongoing pandemic as the precipitating event that necessitated the order.
“COVID-19 has only confirmed how the lack of high-speed internet access can cause too many Michiganders to struggle in their ability to engage in online learning, to use telemedicine to seek needed healthcare, to search for a new job or to take advantage of all the online resources,” Whitmer said in a statement. “A fully connected Michigan is essential for our state to reach its economic potential in the 21st century global economy.”
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