Leelanau Internet Futures Team (LIFT) Rural Broadband Planning Overview and Recommendations

Background

The Leelanau Peninsula Economic Foundation (LPEF), a 501c3 non-profit corporation founded in 2014, is comprised of representatives from local and county chambers of commerce, business and agri-business.  Through a survey of Leelanau businesses conducted in 2016, LPEF found that one of the most critical barriers to business success and growth was lack of available high speed internet service.

To address this issue later that year LPEF created the Leelanau Internet Futures Team (LIFT) drafting key stakeholders from public and private sector to serve on LIFT and tasked the committee with developing an action plan to provide high-speed internet access throughout the county. (LIFT membership attached in appendix.)

LIFT partnered with the Public Service Commission’s Connect Michigan and conducted multiple surveys of Leelanau County residents, businesses and stakeholders in 2016 to identify broadband needs and priorities. Surveys focused on libraries, agriculture, economic prosperity, government, healthcare, K-12 Education, public safety, talent/workforce development, tourism and community organizations. The 2020 pandemic magnified both the need and the impact inadequate broadband had on our county and reinforced the necessity for high speed broadband services for all Leelanau businesses, agri-business, schools and residents as evidenced in the 2016 survey.

Board of Commissioner Action

In May of 2021 at the recommendation of LIFT, the Leelanau County Board of Commissioners (BOC) engaged DCS Technology Design to conduct a county-wide Asset Survey and Study of all Broadband services, cabled and wireless.  DCS Technology Design is a telecommunications engineering firm based in Michigan, that is focused specifically on Rural Broadband issues, looking at the problem purely from an Infrastructure viewpoint. (See appendix of the survey findings - link below - for additional information on DSC Technology Design.)

Survey findings were presented to the BOC on September 23rd, 2021 and in November the DCS Technology Design began working with the LIFT to develop a high level broadband plan.  The mission, to develop a county-wide plan for expansion and implementation of high-speed broadband services to all residents, farms and businesses currently not served by broadband access.

To review the survey findings and plan, click here.