LANSING – The Michigan Public Service Commission Thursday commended Livingston County for becoming the fifth community in Michigan ? and the tenth in the nation ? to be certified as a ?connected? community that has developed a broadband and technology plan to expand broadband access, adoption and use.
Livingston County joins Charlevoix, Antrim, St. Clair and Roscommon counties to earn this distinction in Michigan.
?Michigan can take pride that it has more ?connected? communities? than any other state,? said MPSC Commissioner Sally Talberg. ?Livingston County is now among the nation?s elite communities that are at the forefront of the digital economy.?
Livingston County?s broadband action plan has identified five priority projects: completing a vertical assets inventory; performing a broadband build-out analysis in un-served areas; performing an analysis of local policies and ordinances; developing public-private partnerships to deploy broadband; and assessing the need for a broadband training and awareness program for small businesses.
Connect Michigan?s Community Engagement Program guides communities through an assessment of their overall broadband and technology innovation using criteria that its parent organization ? Connected Nation ? has set as a part of a ?community certification? model. The program helps train regional team leaders and supports the formation of community planning teams made up of various sector representatives.
The certification process involves reviewing the technology landscape, developing regional partnerships, establishing local teams, and conducting a thorough community assessment of broadband access, adoption and use.
Other Michigan communities are working with Connect Michigan toward the Connected SM certification, including the Eastern Upper Peninsula Regional Planning and Development Commission; the Southwest Michigan Planning Commission; and the counties of Barry, Delta, Gladwin, Marquette, Mecosta, Ogemaw, Osceola, Oscoda and Wexford, among others. Several others have formed teams or have indicated interest.
Connect Michigan is a public-private partnership between the Michigan Public Service Commission and Connected Nation to work with local governments, businesses, and citizens in the goal of increasing broadband access, adoption and use.
