More than $1.4 million is heading to rural parts of Michigan for broadband expansion projects.

As part of Michigan’s Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program, 23 subgrantee agreements have been made to help connect about 200,000 homes to high-speed internet. These agreements will move the process forward toward construction for nearly 20,000 homes around the greater Big Rapids area.

Here are the number of homes in each county:

• Clare: 4,055
• Isabella: 1,233
• Lake: 1,844
• Mecosta: 2,863
• Montcalm: 2,832
• Newaygo: 2,886
• Osceola: 3,633

“Reliable high-speed internet means a student can complete homework, a parent can work from home, a small business can reach new customers and a family can access healthcare without leaving home,” said Susan Corbin, director of the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity. “Thanks to the commitment of our BEAD subgrantees, who are investing their own funds alongside this effort, we’re bringing more communities closer to these opportunities and building a stronger, more connected Michigan.”

The subgrantees include:

• 123NET
• Brightspeed
• CMS Internet
• Frontier
• Great Lakes Energy/Truestream
• Michigan Bell
• Midwest Energy & Communications
• Point Broadband Fiber Holding
• Spectrum
• Strategic Management, LLC

The Michigan High-Speed Internet Office (MIHI) also anticipates five more subgrantees will sign agreements in the near future. Subgrantees have four years to complete their projects once agreements are made.

To see a map of projects, visit here: MICHIGAN BROADBAND MAP.

_{Release information courtesy of the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity.}