If you live or work in Allegan or Van Buren Counties and currently struggle to achieve a viable Internet connection or suffer from extremely slow speeds in either an unserved or under-served area in those parts of Michigan’s Great Southwest, relief may be on the way according to Congressman Fred Upton.
Upton has announced this afternoon that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is providing nearly $11 million for broadband service in unserved and under-served rural communities across Southwest Michigan.
Southwest Michigan Communications Inc. will receive a $10.7 million loan/grant combination to deploy Fiber-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband service to Van Buren and Allegan counties. The project will extend broadband availability to 22 farms, 19 businesses, and 7,700 residents spread over 100 square miles.
This critical initiative is part of the USDA’s ReConnect Pilot Program that seeks to connect more Americans to the Internet, especially in the nation’s rural communities.
Upton says, “This major investment by the USDA is great news for our rural communities across Southwest Michigan,” adding, “Especially today as folks across our region are home practicing social distancing, working, taking classes, and operating businesses, broadband infrastructure must be reliable and secure, and these funds will help us improve connectivity. We’ll continue to work to ensure families and businesses have the access to the Internet they need, which remains the driving force of our 21st century economy.”
In addition to the $10.7 million allocated for Southwest Michigan, the ReConnect Pilot Program will also provide another $11.8 million to Barry County Services Company to provide affordable, fiber-based broadband services in rural Barry County. In total, the two projects will expand broadband services to nearly 20,000 residents.
To learn more about ReConnect Program eligibility, technical assistance, and recent announcements, you can visit online at www.usda.gov/reconnect.
USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities and create jobs in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural areas.
