Marquette County Broadband Initiative Teams Up With CONNECT Michigan
Posted by Amy Clickner on November 7, 2012
Marquette County Broadband Initiative Teams Up With CONNECT Michigan
Marquette County, MI – The Marquette County Broadband Initiative has joined forces with Connect Michigan by enrolling in the Connected Certified Community program. This initiative offers a comprehensive way to bridge the digital divide impacting many communities including Marquette County in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula by building community partnerships to assess broadband access, adoption and use issues.
The Marquette County Broadband Initiative is being lead by the County of Marquette, Lake Superior Community Partnership and Northern Michigan University’s Center for Rural Community and Economic Development. The group held its first meeting with community stakeholders in late September and is now compiling the information that was gathered during the session to complete the first steps in the community assessment process.
CONNECT Michigan is the designated entity for broadband mapping and planning in the state and is a public-private partnership between the Michigan Public Service Commission and CONNECTED Nation to help provide high-speed internet to underserved areas.
“Access to broadband is an essential component to rural economic development,” said Bob Eslinger of NMU’s Center for Rural Community and Economic Development. “Assisting local communities, residents and business owners in understanding the broadband infrastructure that exists and future development plans will help guide future decisions and opportunities for all. I’m pleased to be working with the County of Marquette and the Lake Superior Community Partnership to bring this program to Marquette County.”
Thyra Karlstrom, Planner for the County of Marquette commented that “Broadband, and this initiative, is significant for a variety of reasons. From assuring that our children and vulnerable populations have access to the internet so they can fairly compete, to a resident in one of our rural townships being able to join the workforce by creating a home business, to attracting corporations and businesses requiring high speed access.”
The Marquette County Broadband Initiative plans to meet again in the coming weeks to review the information that is now available and to create a plan with area partners to address future deployment of Broadband to underserved areas. Any interested parties are encouraged to contact the group by calling Lois Ellis at the Lake Superior Community Partnership at (906) 226-6591 ext 108.
Marquette County Broadband Initiative Leaders
Thyra Karlstrom
Planner
County of Marquette
(906) 315-2673
Bob Eslinger
Director
Northern Michigan University
(906) 227-2103
Loia Ellis
V.P. of Economic Development
Lakw Superior Community Partnership
(906) 226-6591 ext 108
About CONNECT Michigan: As the designated entity for broadband mapping and planning in the state of Michigan, CONNECT Michigan is a public-private partnership between the Michigan Public Service Commission and CONNECTED Nation to unite local governments, businesses, and citizens in the goal of increasing broadband service in the state’s underserved areas. For more information about what CONNECT Michigan is doing to accelerate technology in Michigan’s communities, visit www.connectmi.org.
About CONNECTED Nation: CONNECTED Nation is a leading technology organization committed to bringing affordable high-speed Internet and broadband-enabled resources to all Americans. CONNECTED Nation effectively raises the awareness of the value of broadband and related technologies by developing coalitions of influencers and enablers for improving technology access, adoption, and use. CONNECTED Nation works with consumers, community leaders, states, technology providers and foundations, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, to develop and implement technology expansion programs with core competencies centered on a mission to improve digital inclusion for people and places previously underserved or overlooked. www.connectednation.org.
