The Calhoun County Broadband Task Force is continuing its work toward affordable, accessible internet in Calhoun County. Two parallel efforts are taking place with the Task Force right now: Our contractor CTC Technology and Energy is working on a feasibility study and cost-benefit analysis which is the required technical work to allow us to determine the best model for ensuring access and affordability countywide. Also, working with the Kitch Law Firm, which specializes in telecom issues in Michigan, we’re assessing how the current landscape of state laws and funding opportunities will allow for the County to play a lead role in internet expansion, especially in areas that we know are under- or unserved for reliable broadband.
Discussions with the Michigan High Speed Internet Office, Connected Michigan, the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, as well as the Michigan Association of Counties have been educational and informative for all parties, as we navigate through this once in a lifetime opportunity to provide broadband infrastructure in the State.
The team of experts the Task Force within County Government has assembled, funded with County American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars, will identify the best possible solution for Calhoun to influence the improvement of broadband. CTC is leading the effort to gather information from as many relevant organizations in Calhoun as possible, including every Internet Service Provider (ISP) in the county; Consumers Energy; leadership from our cities, townships and villages; the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi; and more. Data is being gathered to develop engineering maps, ISPs that are willing to share their plans are sending over information about where they anticipate growth, and analysis is being done to understand what reasonable paths exist to improve connectivity.
CTC’s goal is to deliver their report outlining possible solutions to Calhoun County by this fall. In the meantime, a phone survey will be done of Calhoun County residences, to follow up on and expand on the information gathered in the Merit survey, which concluded in February. Information about that survey, which begins July 11, is in the section below.
How will this Task Force improve access in Calhoun County? There are multiple ways that municipalities, such as County Government, can approach this issue. There are very few county solutions that have been successful in the country, and nearly zero in the state of Michigan. In general, individual cities have tackled broadband accessibility, but rarely has a county, likely due to the vast space we’re trying to cover. We’ve evaluated the broadband landscape for the type of work we’re doing and have come up with three possible solutions:
- Municipal ISP (owned and operated by the county)
- Incentivization Strategies (incentivizing ISPs to accomplish certain goals)
- Public-Private Partnerships (working with an ISP to accomplish goals)
Why not own it ourselves?
Due to state law and grant funding opportunities, municipalities are somewhat limited on how much broadband infrastructure they can own and what grant monies they can apply for. If Calhoun County attempted to develop its own ISP that provided access to residents, we would likely not qualify for certain grants, which would place incredibly high financial risk on county government. Also, Calhoun County does not currently have the supportive resources to single-handedly own and operate fiber infrastructure, because it would require a full staff to ensure customer needs are met. Those risks play a role in the decision-making process.
What would incentivization strategies look like?
Calhoun County could remain separate from the operation of the eventual networks to reach areas of the county that lack access, but find ways to encourage ISPs to accomplish those goals. On one hand, this means the county wouldn’t have financial risk or massive internal effort because the ISPs would handle every part of the growth and operations. However, there are some downsides to having such a hands-off role, including having less influence over the outcomes.
How could a public-private partnership meet the county’s broadband needs?
There are numerous ways that a public-private partnership can function, but the contractual agreement between the public organization (in this case, the county) and the private organization (an ISP) ensures that the county has a legal and fundamental say in the outcomes of the project.
The county could achieve its objectives by establishing specifications that must be met by an ISP it partners with. Those objectives could include geographic areas that need fiber; speed requirements so that the internet that’s provided is reliable and effective; affordable rates for consumers, especially in neighborhoods where we know affordability is a barrier to access; and specific anchor locations that will allow us to provide fiber networks to schools, law enforcement agencies, or other public entities. With information we’ve gained from the ISPs, local municipalities, and other stakeholders, we can influence the way ISPs meet Calhoun County’s broadband needs.
This can be a win-win scenario for the county and the ISP. The county uses its strengths and assets to remove obstacles or provide funding to ISPs that can meet specific identified needs, and the county doesn’t have to enter into an industry it’s not prepared to manage, like owning and operating broadband infrastructure.
What’s next?
Working closely with Calhoun County and the Task Force, CTC is continuing its information-gathering process and beginning engineering plans to visualize avenues the county can take to truly improve internet access in Calhoun County.
These plans will be discussed with the Broadband Task Force, which has established its strategic areas as accessibility, affordability, adoption, and digital literacy. To improve internet access in Calhoun, every element of these strategic areas must be considered if a solution will truly be successful.
This work with CTC is expected to wrap up in August or September, but more information will be shared to this email newsletter as it’s available.
If you have any questions, please reach out to Lucy Blair, Calhoun County Communications Director, who is facilitating this project.
