Leelanau County Working to Expand High-Speed Internet Service with $17.4 Million Project

Leelanau County is working on a long-sought goal: expanding high-speed internet service in its borders.

Internet service provider Point Broadband LLC plans to start building a fiber-optic network later this year. That network will run from the base of the peninsula’s eastern side to its tip. It’s a $17.4 million project that will service Leelanau and many rural areas.

Leelanau County has been working on their mission to bring broader and better high speed internet to people for years. The coronavirus pandemic emphasized the needs of communities and Michiganders who struggle without having reliable internet service.

The need to have high-speed broadband for our kids so they can complete their lessons at school, for seniors that may be counting on broadband for telemedicine, for businesses that need to go online either to sell or to buy products is absolutely essential,” Tim Ervin, Communications Specialist at Venture North Funding, said.

Some of the most important issues for residents in the rea have ranged from education and healthcare to business functions and basic communication.