The Berrien County Board of Commissioners is preparing for the expansion of broadband internet to unserved areas of the community now that Midwest Energy and Communications has gotten final approval for a state grant.
News that the ROBIN grant was given the green light by the Michigan High-Speed Internet Office came last week. Speaking at a Thursday meeting, Berrien County Commissioner Teri Freehling said this will mean huge progress.
“We’re walking away with this project being funded total with $55 million, and it will be 433 miles of fiber within Berrien County alone,” Freehling said.
Berrien County Administrator Brian Dissette told commissioners to be in contact with township officials in their districts as MEC starts asking for right of way permits.
“Just sit and talk through with them what the construction schedule will look like, what they should expect as far as permitting, what they should expect as far as potential complaints about the construction process,” Dissette said.
Freehling laid out a tentative schedule for the work to expand fiber. Under the current plan, work should begin in Bertrand Township in the second quarter of 2024. Next will be Galien, Baroda, and Eau Claire later next year, and the project will wrap up with Hagar Township, Twelve Corners in Benton Township, and Coloma Township in the third quarter of 2025.
This will make high-speed internet available to about 5,000 additional homes throughout the county.
You can learn more about Berrien County’s broadband efforts right here.
