TRAVERSE CITY -- Three area economic development organizations are combining efforts to seek more federal funding to expand broadband Internet service in the region.
The Traverse Bay Area Economic Development Corp. is joining the Northern Lakes Economic Alliance and the Manistee County Alliance for Economic Success on a proposal for the second round of funding for high-speed Internet expansion through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Officials are working with a group of selected local providers on a coordinated proposal for federal stimulus funding.
Recent research by the agencies showed that fewer than 60 percent of households in the five-county region have access to high-speed Internet service, well below the state average of 78 percent. Officials said it puts the region at a competitive disadvantage in attracting economic growth to northern Michigan.
"Creating a common alignment with other regional economic development organizations helps to strengthen support for broadband service providers investing to bring high-speed Internet service into areas that cannot obtain it today," said Tino Breithaupt, head of the Traverse Bay EDC.
The agencies are seeking letters of support from residents, business owners, civic groups and others by the March 29 application deadline.
More information is available on the Traverse City Area Chamber of Commerce's Regional Broadband Initiative web site at www.tcchamber.org/regional-broadband.
