ST. JOHNS — Thousands of rural Clinton County residents could get better internet service, thanks to a $25 million project expected to boost service in rural areas.
The county has been seeking state funds for years and in the latest round of Michigan Realizing Opportunity with Broadband Infrastructure Networks grants, Clinton County was awarded one of the largest of 20 awards announced.
The Clinton County project’s funding will come from a nearly $15 million state grant, along with $2.4 million from the county’s American Rescue Plan Act funds and nearly $8 million from Frontier Communications. The grant funding will go through Frontier.
“Expanding broadband internet access to unserved areas of the County was the identified priority of the Board of Commissioners,” said Bob Showers, chair of the Clinton County Board of Commissioners. “The need for reliable, high-speed internet service is essential for business opportunity and educational access in the 21st century economy.”
The work is expected to be finished by the end of August 2025, according to the grant application.
Clinton County’s project will provide services to 3,297 homes. Most of the internet expansion will be for residential homes, but about 30 businesses and four community institutions institutions.
About 1 in 6 of those homes has internet so slow, 25 megabits per second, it is considered unserved. The others cannot access 100 megabits-per-second internet and are considered underserved, according to Frontier’s application.
Residents who receive expanded access would still need to pay for the internet, and plans start with a low-income option at 100 megabits per second at $30 per month. Some of the homes would have access to 5 gigabyte service for $140 a month.
The access is expected to be expanded in three zones in the county:
- Central: Riley and Olive townships
- East: Ovid and Victor townships, and portions of Bath Township
- West: Lebanon, Essex, Greenbush, Duplain, Dallas and Bengal townships, and portions of Westphalia and Eagle townships
In a statement, Frontier said it “will expand our fast, reliable fiber-optic network across Clinton County. This investment will bring high-speed internet access to thousands of unserved and underserved homes and businesses, boosting economic growth and educational opportunities throughout the county.”
Contact Mike Ellis at [email protected] or 517-267-0415
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