ALLEGAN, Mich. — The Allegan County Board of Commissioners agreed to a nearly $18 million contract that will provide wired broadband infrastructure and service to thousands of unserved homes and businesses.
The county says, right now, the 12,000 addresses the project aims to serve do not have access to download speeds of more than 100 megabytes.
The contract is with 123.net, based out of Southfield, and is worth $17.7 million. The county says 123.net will match the county’s investment with a like amount.
“123.net is a foundational provider of Michigan broadband infrastructure,” said Allegan County’s Broadband Project Manager, Jill Dunham. “From their reasonable monthly rates to the open access network proposed, they offer a great solution for Allegan County.”
Broadband Action Workgroup (BAW) recommended 123.net’s proposal. A six-member team, made up of three county employees and three BAW members, evaluated the eleven proposals they received.
The county hopes this partnership will help address less-populated areas because previously, it has been difficult for providers to install costly infrastructure without enough customers to provide a return on investment.
The release of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding and other state and federal broadband programs will help to offset the upfront costs of the infrastructure.
Allegan County says, when ARPA funds became available, leaders quickly learned that broadband is a top concern for community members, so the county decided to use ARPA funding to make broadband coverage a top priority in its 2021/2022 strategic plan.
“Our collaborative planning and focused approach to this project is producing quick results. It is amazing to see so many people working together around a shared vision and I am proud Allegan County is so far ahead in the process,” added Allegan County Administrator Rob Sarro.
The 123.net proposal will use $17.7 million in county ARPA funds, combined with provider capital and state and federal funding for the approximately $70 million project.
