The legislation would use federal coronavirus relief money for service grants and funding staff within the Michigan High-Speed Internet Office. It’s something advocates have been pushing for. Joanne Galloway is executive director of the Center for Change: Northern Michigan Advocacy. She says the funding would allow the state to make sure all its residents can access broadband internet.
“This is going to allow Michigan to pivot from private industry determining who gets internet based on being able to build a business case, to the state having a clear understanding of who is served and isn’t served.”
The state says over a million households either lack high-speed internet access or face barriers related to adoption.
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