Michiganders Asked for Feedback on Using $1.6B in Federal Funding to Expand High-Speed Internet Access Across the State

The Michigan High-Speed Internet Office (MIHI) is now accepting public comment on Volume 1 of Michigan’s Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Initial Proposal. Public comments will be used to help draft MIHI’s proposal for how Michigan will use the historic $1.559 billion funding allocation from the BEAD Act to expand access to high-speed internet service to more homes, businesses and community anchor institutions in the state. As of 2023, close to 500,000 Michigan households are unserved or underserved by high-speed internet infrastructure and another 730,000 households face barriers related to a combination of affordability, adoption, device access and digital literacy. This means approximately 30% of Michigan households do not have an affordable, reliable high-speed internet connection that meets their needs. The BEAD funding will be used to close the digital divide. Volume 1 of the Initial Proposal outlines the process that MIHI will implement to identify every home, business and institution in the state that is eligible to be connected to the internet through the BEAD Program. To ensure no locations across the state are missed, the process will allow local units of government, non-profit organizations and internet service providers to supply evidence to MIHI if locations are unserved, underserved or served by high-speed internet. Public comment on Volume 1 of the BEAD Initial Proposal is open now through 11:59 p.m. on October 31, 2023. Comments may be submitted through a webform or MIHI will also accept comments by postal mail.