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“We don’t expect any challenges,” says Jill Dunham, Allegan County’s broadband project manager. The county has pledged $17.7 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, and 123Net matched that with $17.7 million of its own capital funds.Īpproval of the ROBIN grant is pending a 45-day comment and challenge period from other internet service providers, which will conclude by mid-August. The total cost of the project is $65 million. The Allegan County Board of Commissioners and 123NET established a public-private partnership earlier this year and thereby applied for the ROBIN grant together.

The multimillion-dollar Realizing Opportunities with Broadband Infrastructure Networks (ROBIN) grant will provide close to 50% of the needed financing.

That equates to installing 1,100 miles of high-capacity fiber that will serve over 10,000 homes across the rural landscape of the county. Southfield-based internet service provider 123Net recently received a $30 million federal grant that will go toward constructing open-access broadband service for underserved and unserved areas of Allegan County.

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