The State of Michigan, in partnership with Connected Nation Michigan, launched a map of state-wide Wi-Fi hotspots Tuesday in an effort to assist residents without access.
Connected Nation Michigan’s website now offers a map indicating every hotspot location with a purple dot. Hotspot locations span all over the state of Michigan and the western part of the Upper Peninsula.
According to the state’s 2018 Michigan Broadband Roadmap, 381,000 households had no internet access. State commissioners said this initiative is the beginning of a road to wireless connectivity in all homes.
Tremaine Phillips, commissioner on the Michigan Public Service Commission, said reliable connectivity is more important than ever. “This will allow for folks who are lacking in those services… to be able to travel to parking lot locations, to library’s, to schools, to other places all across the state and have access to that high-speed internet,” he said.
Though the lack of accessibility was addressed years ago, the pandemic is the main reason for this new offering. Phillips said, ‘’As a result of the pandemic is this renewed laser focus on increasing broadband adoption and deployment, not only in the state of Michigan, but all across the country.” He is hopeful this will positively impact communities state-wide.
The map can be found at connectednation.org/Michigan/.
