(Source: MIRS.news, Published 03/25/2024) The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment, or BEAD, program has $1.6 billion in federal funding to get every Michigander connected, but the Michigan High-Speed Internet Office (MIHI) needs to find all the non-connected areas.
MIHI Chief Connectivity Officer Eric Frederick said the BEAD program would be doling out grants to connect everyone to the high-speed broadband fiber network by 2030, even remote rural areas.
"This is truly our once-in-a-generation opportunity to get it right, and it is going to take time, but that's because we have to be efficient and smart about how we do it because we're not going to get another chance," Frederick said.
To get it right, Frederick and Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II announced the State Challenge Process, asking Michiganders to point out which areas of the state don't have access to high-speed broadband.
This would be the second time the state has asked residents to point out which areas aren't getting high-speed internet or are underserved by area internet service providers (ISP).
Fredrick said the first time, people were sent to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to file challenges to the federal maps. This time, the state would start with the FCC maps from Feb. 7, 2024, and work with communities to get even more granular with the connection data.
The reason for this would be to coincide with the $238 million in Realizing Opportunity with Broadband Infrastructure Networks grants given to ISPs and others that are currently hooking up 70,000 locations.
"BEAD is here to bat cleanup," Frederick said.
He said the grants would start to be issued in 2025 to essentially help get networks to every doorstep in Michigan. Funding would be available to not just ISPs, but to nonprofits, local governments and other private businesses.
"The state of Michigan will not be building and putting out infrastructure. We will put out grants to support others," he said.
He said there would essentially be three waves of grants, with the first and largest portion going to fiber-optic networks. The second wave would be for coaxial cable networks, and if there was any money left or far-flung remote locations, such as Isle Royale in Lake Superior, that did not end up with high-speed internet, then they could look for alternates such as satellite networks.
"$1.6 billion is a lot of funds and we don't want to invest in fly-by-night technologies, we want to invest in technologies that will serve Michigan residents far into the future," he said.
To get to that level, he said that people and communities without access need to help by going to the MIHI portal and marking the area they were in as unconnected.
People without a connection could also get in touch with the nearest fiber-optic ISP and ask for service to be brought to their home. The grant funding through BEAD would be the catalyst for getting connected.
"Our measure of success is 'Everywhere,' and so that's what we need to do," he said.
