Overview
The Tuscola County, MI Broadband Team has completed its community technology assessment. The results of the assessment can be found by clicking the symbol for the sections below. Here you can find survey results, infrastructure assessments, and recommended actions the community can implement to improve the broadband and technology ecosystem at a local level.
INFRASTRUCTURE
Connected Infrastructure in Tuscola County, Michigan
Broadband access refers to the infrastructure that enables a high-speed internet connection. There are two primary types of broadband connections: fixed and mobile.
Fixed broadband is delivered to a user via several technology platforms including cable, digital subscriber line (DSL) over phone lines, fiber optics, and fixed wireless. Fixed broadband is designed for stationary use at a fixed location such as a home, business, or institution. From one location, however, fixed broadband service is often broadcast as a Wi-Fi network to connect nearby devices.
The following map shows where broadband is available in the community.
Recommended Actions
Description
Supporting a formal, long-term community Technology Action Committee (TAC) can help to sustain the implementation of the technology action plan and the growth of broadband and technology access, adoption, and use in the community. Ideally, the team will: 1) promote broadband and technology access adoption and use; 2) serve as the de facto go-to resource for broadband and technology for the community; 3) seek ways to educate and empower the community regarding broadband and technology; 4) unify the community on broadband and technology, in order to better understand and communicate broadband and technology opportunities; 5) take action on recommendations from the plan as well as others that they may find necessary and beneficial to the growth of their community.
Goals
Support and promote an empowered group of passionate and interested individuals focused on broadband and technology access, adoption, and use.
Actions
- Determine an interim board that will be able to provide the initial leadership and direction, set goals and objectives, structure, and meeting agendas.
- Begin regularly scheduled meetings, including individual broadband provider discussions, and recruit businesses and individuals to the TAC as appropriate.
- Create a centralized technology portal/website or other information source that promotes local technology resources for use by residents. Resources could include broadband provider identification and contact information, Technology Action Committee updates, public hot-spot locations, calendars of events, online training resources, and local computer resources.
Responsible Parties
Community Service organizations, Libraries, Schools, Internet Service Providers, Local and County Government, Local Businesses, Economic Development Groups, and others as needed.
Resources
The Role of Community Leadership In the Development of Grassroots Innovations: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2210422416300417?via%3Dihub
Forbes's E-Gov to Basis Points - Municipal Credit and Next-Gen Government Digital Leaders: https://www.forbes.com/sites/investor/2019/05/15/e-gov-to-basis-points-municipal-credit-and-next-gen-government-digital-leaders/#57e50e577bc7
Diligent Insights's Municipal Boards - Best Practices for Adopting Technology: https://insights.diligent.com/boardroom-technology-local-government/municipal-boards-best-practices-for-adopting-technology
Description
Having a current and accurate understanding of where the need for new or enhanced broadband service exists within the community is critical to developing targeted and effective solutions. Available broadband coverage maps are helpful on a broad basis, but do not provide the granularity or validated accuracy needed to address the true demand. Address-level information gathered through the Tuscola County “Connected” survey process helps refine this accuracy and provides a grass-roots level view of broadband service levels across the county. Using these data sources, further enabled by the new Thumb Area Interactive Map, community leaders and broadband providers together can readily identify and prioritize geographic and more populated areas that support additional broadband improvement actions.
Goals
Identify and prioritize key geographic and populated areas throughout the county that warrant actions to improve broadband service levels.
Actions
- Review most recent broadband coverage maps from Connected Nation Michigan to assess estimated residential broadband coverage at various speeds across Tuscola County (10 Mbps, 25 Mbps, 100 Mbps and 1 Gbps).
- Use the Huron-Sanilac-Tuscola Interactive Map to overlay broadband coverage with broadband survey data to narrow in on key areas and population centers that lack service or need improvements.
- Use Connected Nation Michigan’s statewide interactive map to see additional layers of broadband-related information and ability to zoom to specific areas of Tuscola County for more detail.
- Engage with municipality leaders in identified unserved and underserved areas to gather additional input and confirm the need for broadband expansion in their communities.
- Engage with library directors in these areas to understand the local residential demand for use of library resources for connectivity (due to lack of at-home service).
Responsible Parties
Tuscola County Technology Action Committee, Local and County Government leaders, Community Service organizations, Libraries, Schools, Internet Service Providers, Local and County Government, Local Businesses and Industries, Economic Development Groups, and others as needed.
Resources
Connected Nation Michigan – Tuscola County coverage maps: https://connectednation.org/michigan/2020-county-maps/
Huron-Sanilac-Tuscola Interactive Map:
https://connectednation.org/michigan/thumb/interactivemap
Connected Nation Michigan – statewide interactive map:
Description
The federally-sponsored Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) has committed nearly $10 billion to expand very high speed (100 Mbps to 1 Gbps and higher) to currently unserved and underserved rural areas across the country, with another $10 billion in reserve for future buildout. Of the $363 million that has now been committed to the state of Michigan, $14.6 million has been committed to Tuscola County exclusively, which will be combined with direct investments from the broadband providers who will receive these funds. This primarily fiber-based buildout will take place over the next 5-6 years and will have a major impact on the economic, educational and personal effectiveness of Tuscola County residents and businesses. Establishing a strong working relationship with these “winning” broadband providers and helping support their fiber deployment efforts will be critical to making these commitments a reality for the county.
Goals
Identify and understand the prioritize key geographic and populated areas throughout the county that warrant actions to improve broadband service levels.
Actions
- Review most recent broadband coverage maps from Connected Nation Michigan to assess estimated residential broadband coverage at various speeds across Tuscola County (10 Mbps, 25 Mbps, 100 Mbps and 1 Gbps).
- Use the Huron-Sanilac-Tuscola Interactive Map to overlay broadband coverage with broadband survey data to narrow in on key areas and population centers that lack service or need improvements.
- Use Connected Nation Michigan’s statewide interactive map to see additional layers of broadband-related information and ability to zoom to specific areas of Tuscola County for more detail.
- Engage with municipality leaders in identified unserved and underserved areas to gather additional input and confirm the need for broadband expansion in their communities.
- Engage with library directors in these areas to understand the local residential demand for use of library resources for connectivity (due to lack of at-home service).
Responsible Parties
Tuscola County Technology Action Committee, Local and County Government leaders, Community Service organizations, Libraries, Schools, Internet Service Providers, Local and County Government, Local Businesses and Industries, Economic Development Groups, and others as needed.
Resources
Connected Nation Michigan – Tuscola County coverage maps: https://connectednation.org/michigan/2020-county-maps/
Huron-Sanilac-Tuscola Interactive Map:
https://connectednation.org/michigan/thumb/interactivemap
Connected Nation Michigan – statewide interactive map:
Description
Engage with local broadband providers and perform an analysis of unserved areas to understand local assets and any barriers to broadband deployment. The local team should solicit feedback from residents of the unserved/underserved area regarding their needs and issues to date with security connectivity.
Goals
Determine the reasons why some areas of the community remain unserved, determine the feasibility of deploying various broadband technologies in the defined area, and assess the business case for deployment.
Actions
- Identify incumbent or nearby broadband providers in targeted areas and arrange meetings to understand current issues and plans for potential deployment in those areas.
- Assess the feasibility and use of various broadband technologies and implementation approaches as potential solutions for broadband deployment in these areas.
- Explore potential partnerships between affected municipalities, community organizations, economic development groups and broadband providers to help eliminate barriers to broadband expansion in these targeted areas.
- Explore and evaluate funding sources that could support broadband efforts and solutions in these targeted areas (local, state, federal).
Responsible Parties
Tuscola County Technology Action Committee, Local and County Government leaders, Community Service organizations, Libraries, Schools, Internet Service Providers, Local and County Government, Local Businesses and Industries, Economic Development Groups, and others as needed.
Resources
Fiber to the Home Council toolkit for communities looking to expand broadband infrastructure: http://bit.ly/2d18QL6
Description
Public-private partnerships take many forms, limited only by the imagination and legal framework in which the municipality operates. Some communities issue municipal bonds to fund construction of a network, which they lease to private carriers, with the lease payments covering the debt service. Others create non-profit organizations to develop networks in collaboration with private carriers or provide seed investment to jump start construction of networks that the private sector is unable to cost-justify on its own. A public-private partnership should not be simply seen as a method of financing. The strength of these partnerships is that each party brings something important to the table that the other doesn’t have or can’t easily acquire. The community can offer infrastructure (publicly owned building rooftops, light poles, towers, and other vertical assets for mounting infrastructure) for the deployment of a network, as well as committed anchor tenants. Private-sector partners bring network-building and operations experience.
Goals
Leverage existing community assets in partnership with private sector carriers to expand broadband network deployment.
Actions
- Determine Priorities: Competition, enhanced service, equity and service to all, public control over infrastructure, risk avoidance, redundancy, etc.
- Consider different models of partnership:
Model 1: Private Investment, Public Facilitation: Make available public assets like fiber and conduit, share geographic information systems data, streamline permitting and inspection processes, offer economic development incentives to attract private broadband investment.
Model 2: Private Execution, Public Funding: Identify revenue streams that can be directed to a private partner, issue RFP for private turnkey execution.
Model 3: Shared Investment and Risk: Evaluate using assets to attract private investment, evaluate funding new assets to attract private investment, evaluate building new fiber assets to businesses and/or homes for leasing to private ISPs. - Understand key legal considerations for localities looking to build a broadband partnership: Review authority issues, understand the legal tools and instruments that could shape the partnership, negotiate the agreement.
Responsible Parties
Tuscola County Technology Action Committee, Local Units of Government; Broadband Providers; Community Anchor Institutions; Local Businesses, and others as appropriate.
Resources
Broadband USA's Introduction to Effective Public-Private Partnerships for Broadband Investments: https://broadbandusa.ntia.doc.gov/sites/default/files/resource-files/bbusa_effective_public_private_partnerships.pdf
United States Department of Agriculture: https://bit.ly/2yUGikq
Description
Beyond the availability of physical infrastructure and getting access to fast broadband service, one of the other major barriers to closing the Digital Divide and getting residents connected is the cost of service. To help address that, several national broadband providers (Charter, Comcast, AT&T) offer a discounted but still high-speed broadband service to qualifying low-income families that reside in that provider’s service area. Additionally, Congress has recently passed the Emergency Broadband Benefit program, which provides a $50/month subsidy toward broadband service fee for qualifying low-income families. Making these programs, along with the federal Lifeline program, more visible and available to qualifying households in Tuscola County can help get more residents connected and engaged in today’s economy.
Goals
Help overcome the cost barrier to broadband adoption for low-income and other vulnerable residents.
Actions
- Conduct an awareness campaign to promote the availability and use of these discounted/subsidized broadband programs to targeted, low-income families.
Responsible Parties
Tuscola County Technology Action Committee, County Libraries, Participating Broadband Providers; Connected Nation Michigan
Resources
Emergency Broadband Benefit Program: https://getemergencybroadband.org/, https://www.fcc.gov/broadbandbenefit
AT&T’s “Access” Program: https://www.att.com/internet/access/
Charter/Spectrum’s “Spectrum Assist” program: https://www.spectrum.com/internet/spectrum-internet-assist
Comcast’s “Internet Essentials” program: https://www.internetessentials.com/