DETROIT (WWJ) -- Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is making moves to improve internet services for thousands of Michigan families, issuing an executive directive Wednesday to establish the Michigan High-Speed Internet Office (MIHI).
Speaking at the Boys and Girls Club on Tireman on Detroit’s west side, Whitmer announced the new office, calling it “a generational opportunity to make a tremendous difference,” thanks to federal funds Michigan has received and the state’s sudden budget surplus.
“Together, we will ensure that every home and business in Michigan can access affordable, reliable, high-speed internet that meets their needs,” Whitmer said.
The governor says one in four Michigan families do not have an internet connection that meets their needs -- an issue that was only confirmed by the coronavirus pandemic, as many Michiganders without reliable internet access struggle with online learning, using tele-medicine to seek needed health care and searching for jobs.
“Luckily, we’ve got the will and we have a way to close the digital divide and provide high-speed internet to millions of Michiganders,” she said.
The governor’s office says more than $2.5 billion in potential economic benefit is left unrealized each year due to the digital divide.
“The divide includes both the hundreds of thousands of households that have not yet been reached by high-speed internet infrastructure, as well as the estimated 865,000 households that are disconnected due to the cost of subscribing to service or purchasing an appropriate device, a lack of digital skills, or other related barriers.”
The new office will be the state’s central source to coordinate expanding access, while also dealing with the issue of internet affordability. MIHI will be housed inside the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity and will be responsible for developing the state’s high-speed internet strategy, as well as coordinating its funding and implementation.
Related
