In early 2009, Congress passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to help stimulate job growth across the country.  Among many other important initiatives the ARRA marked 7.2 billion dollars to be made available nationally for improving access to, and use of, broadband services.  The $7.2 billion would be divided further between the Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Service (RUS) and the Department of Commerce's National Telecommunication Information Agency (NTIA).  RUS would receive $2.5 billion to fund its current distance learning, telemedicine, and broadband loan and grant program.  While the NTIA would receive $4.7 billion to fund a new broadband technologies opportunity program, which would consist of competitive grants.   

Prior to the passing of the ARRA, Governor Granholm sent out a request statewide for projects to be sent into her office to try and understand what types of initiatives entities were interested in around the state.  As a result, over 250 projects were submitted that involved improving broadband service.  Those approximate 250 projects had a bill totaling over $2 billion.  The Michigan Department of Information Technology realized from this that a cohesive statewide framework for broadband initiatives would help maximize the reach of any funds Michigan will receive under these programs.

The statewide framework has been pulled together by a large team of stakeholders that represent many groups around the state.  The team has been working toward the following project goals:

• Expand and upgrade broadband service to unserved/underserved
  populations across the State
• Transform Michigan's economic competitiveness by making affordable
  broadband accessible to any business throughout the state
• Ensure a better, more efficient government for the 21st century
• Strengthen Michigan's ability to monitor borders and critical infrastructure

Additional information on this initiative is available throughout this site and please join the list-serv or RSS feed if you wish to get future updates on progress made on this initiative.  Thank You.