LANSING – The digital divide remains a pressing issue for Michigan’s rural communities, where broadband access lags due to challenging geography and limited infrastructure.

Jason Hamel, the operations manager and product assembler for Howey Tree Baler Corp. in Merritt, says current dial-up connection speeds in the area “aren’t worth it.”

“It was much faster to sit by a window to try and pull something up on our phone than it was to use our dial-up connection,” said Hamel. “Spectrum’s high-speed internet has streamlined things and improved our workflow.”

Spectrum, the nation’s leading rural internet provider, has focused its efforts in areas like Merritt and Cadillac, where connectivity gaps are common.

The company recently expanded its reach to 34,000 homes and businesses across Michigan in 2023, aiming to bridge the divide through targeted rural construction projects, says Mike Hogan, the senior director for public relations in the company’s Great Lakes Region.

That includes adding fiber broadband connection in Wexford County for more than 4,000 homes and businesses in 14 communities, of which nine have service for the first time.

“Our focus is on unserved and underserved areas – and each expansion project gets us closer to new areas, opening the door to future opportunities to expand,” Hogan said.

In recent years, the U.S. government has accelerated its push to ensure affordable, high-speed internet access across the country.

In late 2021, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration implemented the Digital Equity Act, making grants and other funding available for improving broadband infrastructure and promoting digital equity.

The Federal Communications Commission reported the average price of internet service has decreased nationally by 19% from 2009 to 2023, a trend bolstered by state and federal initiatives that fund rural projects and help keep costs down.

Hamel said, “We were paying more for the old internet that didn’t even work than we are for Spectrum. We’re saving money, saving time, have better internet, and it’s helped us be more efficient.”

Federal programs such as the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment initiative and the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund are key sources of financial support for providers like Spectrum that receive both public funds and make substantial private investments to bring high-speed service to unserved areas.

Michigan’s first-ever Digital Equity Plan, announced earlier this year, aims to address affordability, accessibility and digital skills, particularly in rural communities.

Developed by the Michigan High-Speed Internet Office with input from over 800 state residents, the plan seeks to eliminate barriers to access statewide by 2030.

Eric Frederick, the office’s chief connectivity officer, said the federal money “will ensure this work reaches every corner and every person across our state.”

The Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program is also expected to play a crucial role, with nearly $20 million in grants awarded to Michigan, according to the office.

Hogan noted that expanding service in rural areas presents hurdles for Spectrum, such as dense forests, marshes and the challenge of navigating narrow rights-of-way.

Such difficulties add to the costs and complexities of connecting homes in remote areas, where distances between houses can be vast.

“In rural construction, we can sometimes run a 1-mile span of cable to connect just one home,” Hogan explained, contrasting that with urban areas where he says a mile of fiber can reach 20-30 homes.

Through federal support, Spectrum has secured grants to extend service to unserved areas across 33 counties.

In Wexford County, for example, its network now covers more than 350 miles of fiber broadband connection. Missaukee County’s expansion has reached 300 residents, while work in Osceola County has activated service for nearly 200 residents, Hogan said.

The company says that by the time its planned projects are completed, many of those communities will have access to internet speeds fast enough to download a two-hour movie in about 20 seconds.