There’s a lot of broadband work going on in Berrien County, but not all of it is the result of the county’s efforts.
Speaking to colleagues this week, Berrien County Commissioner Teri Freehling said Midwest Energy and Communications has been rolling out high-speed internet to communities all over the area thanks to a $27 million state ROBIN grant the county helped it secure.
“I’m told that they’re working fast and furious and they are ahead of schedule,” Freehling said. “And I don’t want MEC or Midwest Energy and Communications to be confused with some of the other work that’s happening within the county.”
Freehling said providers like Surf Broadband, Comcast, and AT&T have also been installing broadband throughout Berrien County. Surf has been working in Bridgman, Watervliet, and Bainbridge Township, while Comcast has been laying new fiber in Bainbridge Township. To help people stay on top of all of this, Freehling had some advice to commissioners.
“The best thing I can say is if you have any residents that reach out to you and say, ‘Hey, what’s happening, or I have an issue, or I’m interested in the services,’ have them go to our website page, which is the BC Bit page. They can click on a lot of different links that will take them, one, to the service providers, two, that will tell them the construction update.”
BC Bit is the county’s broadband committee. Its webpage has a map of ongoing projects, and Freehling said the county’s broadband consultant and the county IT department are working on an even more detailed map.
Freehling told us in June that since MEC secured the state grant, it’s built out more than 50 miles of fiber in Bertrand Township, and another 60 miles is coming to Galien Township. Weesaw Township and Baroda Township were to see similar projects.
The overall ROBIN grant-funded broadband project is slated to be finished in 2026 while other providers continue to expand access throughout the county.
