COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – Branch County Administrator Bud Norman said in an e-mail on Tuesday that the county has been awarded a Realizing Opportunity with Broadband Infrastructure Networks competitive grant from the State of Michigan which would provide a portion of the funding for a proposed broadband project.
The Branch County Board of Commissioners voted on March 13 to pledge $1 million of the county’s American Rescue Plan Act money to help fund a proposed broadband project if the county got the state grant which is commonly known as ROBIN.
ROBIN provides funds to internet service providers and public-private partnerships for the expansion of broadband infrastructure to unserved areas.
There was no financial commitment for the county if the grant was denied. Norman explained the process in March if the county received the grant.
Local units of government that get ARPA money have until the end of 2024 to identify projects and obligate funds. They then have two years to spend the money.
The Commissioners accepted a county broadband proposal from Frontier in December of 2022. Any potential partnership with Frontier was contingent on getting grant funds.
On Tuesday, the Michigan High-Speed Internet Office announced that 24 projects from 11 applicants are set to share in $238 million of federal Coronavirus Capital Project Fund dollars through the grant program.
(Gary Stevens contributed to this report)
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