WEST OLIVE, MI (WGHN) – Ottawa County has selected 123NET, a premier fiber internet, colocation, and voice services provider, to bring broadband internet to the county’s underserved residents and businesses.
Funding for the $27 million project is slated to come from a variety of sources, including $7.5 million of Ottawa County’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, $3.5 Million in 123NET’s private capital, and additional state and federal grants. The Ottawa County Board approved a letter of intent to partner with 123NET. The motion enabled the County and its partner to submit an application to compete for time-sensitive state grant funding.
Doug Weber from urban wireless solutions gave much credit to Paul Sachs Director, Ottawa County Department of Strategic Impact.
123NET plans to use both internal and local resources for the project – including West Michigan contractors and 123NET’s 10 in-house construction crews. Applications for federal and state funding for this project have begun, and residents, businesses, and community institutions can follow the project here:
“High-speed internet service is no longer a luxury item,” said Ottawa County Commissioner Rebekah Curran. “This public-private partnership will move us closer to ensuring all Ottawa County families and businesses have access to reliable and affordable broadband.”
The project includes approximately 383 miles of new fiber in the county which will further provide access to nearly 10,000 addresses with approximately 3,300 being unserved and 1,200 underserved. As a result, Ottawa community members can expect internet speeds of up to 10 gigabits per second, 100 times faster than traditional AT&T and Comcast speeds. Additionally, the network will be both open access and carrier-neutral, allowing other network providers to access the fiber to sell their services, giving residents and businesses the ability to choose their preferred internet provider.
Comments