Leelanau Internet Futures Team & LPEF Update & Progress Report
As the Leelanau Internet Futures Team (LIFT) committee continues to develop the overall broadband program in Leelanau County working with our Internet Service Providers: Point Broadband, Agri-Valley Services and Charter Communications (dba Spectrum, LLC), we are very pleased to pass along the updates they provide us.
This Leelanau County Internet Update focuses on progress underway in the county’s four western townships-- Empire, Kasson, Glen Arbor and Cleveland. We asked Marilyn Passmore, Director State Governmental Affairs and Spectrum Rural Expansion for Indiana and Michigan, to share information on Charter’s progress in expanding broadband capacity in these four townships. What follows is the update Ms. Passmore shared. Please contact Charter directly with any questions you may have on the information they provided below:
“Thank you for the opportunity to share an update on our broadband expansion project and how it is positively impacting residents and small businesses in Leelanau County.
As background, Charter Communications, dba Spectrum LLC, and other providers, were awarded funding, via the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) auction (2019), to deploy broadband and voice services to unserved census blocks, see FCC RDOF Auction.
With that award, Charter announced a multi-billion dollar, multi-state broadband expansion project that will positively impact 24 states, including Michigan https://policy.charter.com/blog/charter-announces-5-billion-initiative-to-connect-unserved-americans.
In Leelanau County, Charter was awarded ~$522K to extend service to 516 homes and small businesses without 25/3 service – our investment in Leelanau County far exceeds the federal award.
To date, Charter has already deployed more than 50 miles of fiber network and activated Gigabit service to more than 420 unserved addresses (2022). Service was activated to previously unserved Census Blocks in Empire Township and in the western/NW portions of Kasson Township.
· Press release from when our build began https://corporate.charter.com/newsroom/spectrum-launches-gigabit-broadband-in-benzie-leelanau-and-manistee-counties-michigan
Charter’s rural broadband expansion project in Leelanau County continues, with another ~300 addresses on track to receive access to Spectrum’s full suite of services, including gigabit speeds, later this summer/early Fall.
We are actively building in Central / eastern Kasson Township and Cleveland Township, with service becoming available in 3-4Q23.”
Interested residents can use this site to check if an address is in/near our build area https://www.spectrum.com/cp/build - they may also choose to sign up for text/email updates.
Below is a map of the FCC RDOF award to Charter in Leelanau County, please note that CCO Holdings, LLC is our legal name (Lime Green).
We will be sharing additional updates this week on broadband progress. Stay tuned.
Sincerely,
Patricia Soutas Little, Chairperson Ty Wessell
Leelanau Internet Futures Team (LIFT) Chair
Leelanau Peninsula Economic Foundation Leelanau Board of Commissioners