Role for Leelanau County Government in Wireless Internet?

The Leelanau Enterprise reports that County commissioner David W. “Chauncey” Shiflett and the county board’s Wireless Internet Subcommittee are exploring Leelanau County residents’ use of and satisfaction with their Internet service and whether or not there’s a role for county government in improving Internet service.

The county is seeking proposals from about a dozen Michigan internet service providers to gauge interest in setting up a wireless Internet backbone on the Leelanau Peninsula using county-owned towers and other assets which could then be utilized by providers of wireless internet service.

Rob Franzo of Mitten Communications is working as a consultant for the county and said:

“What we’re proposing will essentially complete the ‘middle mile’ for service providers … The whole idea behind our plan would be to remove some of the barriers that have prevented companies from investing in Leelanau County and being able to provide better Internet service to more remote areas of the county.”

Subcommittee chairman Shiflett said the overarching goal of the group should be to ensure that at least 95-percent of Leelanau County residents have access to wireless Broadband Internet service…

(county information technology director Ron) Plamondon said he had been in touch with representatives of several schools in Leelanau County who, he said, are very interested in the issue because students are now routinely being issued laptop computers and doing homework online.

Photo Credit: Winter in the Leelanau Peninsula. by John Levanen