Michigan Announces $20 Million in Internet Access Grants

The Governor of Michigan announced the opening of applications for the Connecting Michigan Communities (CMIC) grant program to increase broadband in underserved areas of Michigan. While much of Michigan has access to high-speed broadband internet service, there are still many rural areas lacking this vital connectivity.   “Access to high-speed internet is a must to compete in today’s society,” said Whitmer.  “Connecting all Michigan communities with broadband service is about leveling the playing field for every child and small business in the state. Everyone should be able to fully explore their passions and talents, no matter where they live, and not be held back by a lack of infrastructure.”

The application window opens today, July 1, and closes on August 30.  Grant awards are tentatively scheduled to be announced in April of 2020, in time for the summer 2020 construction season, and all projects must be completed by September 30, 2023.  Providers can apply for up to $5 million per grant and can apply for multiple projects. The scoring criteria includes, among other things, community and economic development, readiness to build, operate, and maintain the project, and the long-term viability of the project.  

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The Regulatory Mix Today :  Michigan Announces @20 Million in Internet Access Grants, FCC Releases Agenda for Robocall Summit

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FCC Releases Agenda for Robocall Summit

In a Public Notice, the FCC announced the agenda for its SHAKEN/STIR Robocall Summit.  The event will focus on the industry’s implementation of SHAKEN/STIR, a caller ID authentication framework to combat illegal robocalls and caller ID spoofing and will be held on Thursday, July 11, 2019.  The agenda, which may be updated, includes: a panel on the progress made by major voice providers in deploying SHAKEN/STIR; a presentation on the progress and next steps in SHAKEN/STIR governance; and the challenges to deployment facing smaller voice service providers. 

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The Regulatory Mix, Inteserra’s blog of telecom related regulatory activities, is a snapshot of PUC, FCC, legislative, and occasionally court issues that our regulatory monitoring team uncovers each day. Depending on their significance, some items may be the subject of an Inteserra Briefing.