US gives $81M in stimulus grants to MSU, 2 companies to expand broadband access in Michigan

US gives $81M to Michigan for broadband projects

LANSING, Mich. — Gov. Jennifer Granholm says two businesses and Michigan State University will get $81.3 million in federal stimulus grants to expand broadband Internet access in underserved areas.

Merit Network Inc. gets $69.6 million under the grants announced Wednesday. It’s for service in the Upper Peninsula, northern Lower Peninsula and parts of Wisconsin and Minnesota.

Bloomingdale Communications Inc. gets $5.6 million for service in southwestern Michigan, and Michigan State gets $6.1 million for work in south-central lower Michigan.

The grants follow five totaling $42 million that Granholm announced Aug. 4. Michigan State and Merit Network got $34 million for broadband projects in January.