– Submitted by Allegan County
The Allegan County Board of Commissioners awarded a $17.7 million contract to 123.net of Southfield to provide wired broadband infrastructure and service to approximately 12,000 unserved addresses. The addresses do not have access to download speeds of over 100mb.
“123.net is a foundational provider of Michigan Broadband infrastructure,” said the 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.” 123.Net will match the county’s investment with a like amount.
123.net’s proposal was recommended by the Broadband Action Workgroup (BAW), that was established by the Commissioners specifically to assist in the Broadband project as a result of a request for proposal process. Eleven proposals were received and were evaluated by a six-member team comprised of three county employees and three members of the BAW.
“Voting to invest in internet access for all Allegan County is the most important act for the future this Board of Commissioners made this term. It signals Allegan County will be a player in the world economy by giving individual residents access through high speed internet to opportunity and prosperity. This county’s residents owe a debt of gratitude to the broadband action workgroup for their work over a year and half to bring this promise to fruition,” said Board Chair Jim Storey of Holland.
While progress has been made in areas of the County to have accessible broadband, lower density areas remained a challenge. It has been difficult for providers to install costly infrastructure without enough customers to provide a return on investment.
The release of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding and other state and federal broadband programs have been a game changer because it offset the upfront costs of the infrastructure. When notice of ARPA funds became available, Allegan County quickly sought input from the community and broadband was a top concern. Advancing broadband coverage in Allegan County and utilizing ARPA funding to do so became a priority addition to the County’s 2021/22 Strategic Plan.
Based on previous experiences in broadband related projects, the county opted to take a different approach and contract a full-time project manager dedicated to this project. The creation of a work group with diverse talents and experience was also determined to be essential to move this project forward.
County Administrator, Rob Sarro states, “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.”
The 123.net proposal will utilize $17.7M in county ARPA funds, combined with provider capital and state/federal funding for a total project of approximately $70M. Once all funding is received, the project is expected to be completed in approximately 18-24 months.
The County’s full allocation of ARPA funding is approximately $23M. In addition to the funding for broadband, the County is utilizing ARPA funds towards a project to proactively protect water quality and availability. A separate workgroup has been formed assist in the project and Jill Dunham, Broadband Project Manager is also assisting in water project.
