FCC urges people in Michigan to check their internet connections

LANSING, Mich. (WILX) - The State of Michigan and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) urged people living in Michigan to check their locations on the FCC preliminary broadband map.

According to FCC, nearly half a million homes in the state do not have access to high-speed internet. That is why they asked people In Michigan to check their home and business address on the FCC preliminary broadband map to ensure it accurately reflects their level of internet access.

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Meanwhile, The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) will use the map to help make a decision on broadband expansion efforts to provide more access to high-speed internet for communities. Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist II said with access to high-speed internet, people in Michigan can have more connections to education and opportunities,

“As we make historic investments in high-speed internet access across Michigan, we must gather critical information about which locations don’t have access,” said Gilchrist. “The final FCC broadband map will play a major role in our efforts to gain federal funding to increase access, so I encourage every Michigander to check the FCC broadband map and help us get this right. Governor Whitmer and I will continue working with anyone to connect Michigan families and small businesses and grow our economy.”

People can access the broadband map and type their address to see if the reported coverage is accurate. They can then submit a challenge by clicking “Location Challenge” if the location is missing or “Availability Challenge” if the internet service information is incorrect.

To ensure an accurate map is used for decisions, all challenges must be submitted by Jan. 13, 2023.

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