U.S. Sens. Gary Peters and Debbie Stabenow on Friday announced that the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is awarding $61.25 million in federal funding to the Peninsula Fiber Network to connect unserved and underserved communities in Michigan to high-speed internet.
The project will place 535 miles of new broadband fiber to connect local networks to high-capacity national and regional networks, which will bring high-speed internet access to over 35,000 homes in rural counties in Michigan and increase the resiliency and reliability of internet infrastructure across the state, officials said. The funding is made available by the Enabling Middle Mile Broadband Infrastructure Program.
The project will construct underwater routes between Charlevoix to Beaver Island to Gulliver in the UP, and it also will construct fiber routes between Charlevoix and Grayling, officials said.
“Expanding access to reliable high-speed internet in unserved and underserved areas creates new job opportunities and supports small businesses, increases access to quality health care through telehealth, and expands educational opportunities,” said Peters. “This funding is a massive win for Michiganders and communities in our state.”
The project requires a special ship to bury the fiber optic cables underneath Lake Michigan.
Along with the federal grant Peninsula Fiber Network is investing $20 million into the project. Their General Manager, Scott Randall said they’ve already done design work and talked with local internet providers. He says he expects people to notice a difference in their internet speeds in the next couple of years.
“It is going to be at least a couple of years we think before folks will realize the benefit of this. This is just a tremendous very complicated project, but I think again I think today is just a great day for Michigan,” Randall stated.
Randall said the work they’ll do will allow many rural communities to have internet, “on par with any big city.”
“Not all states received grants, Michigan was one of the few, honestly. So, it’s something we need to celebrate because it’s going to make us a much stronger state going forward,” Randall said.
The federal grant requires the project to be completed within the next five years.
