As Area Residents Struggle w/Internet Access, Supervisor Promotes Regional Broadband Survey
(Crystal A. Proxmire, Sept. 27, 2023)
Rose Township, MI – Can you imagine moving into a new home, here in one of the most prosperous counties in the nation, and realizing that internet access is unavailable? That means no checking emails. No working from home. No scrolling through your Facebook feed. No how-to videos on You Tube. No streaming movies or shows. No online classes. Even reading this news article requires a connection.
For one woman in Rose Township, it meant having to find an apartment where she could get a signal when her nursing school classes went virtual during the pandemic.
That’s just one of many situations that Rose Township Supervisor Dianne Scheib-Snider has heard from frustrated residents who can’t get online in their homes.
“This really came to light during the pandemic,” Scheib-Snider said. “I felt so bad for people working from home and having their kids go to school online. What do you do if you’ve got three or four kids trying to do online school at the same time? Or if you’re a teacher trying to teach while you’ve also got kids at home who have to be online for their classes?”
“In this day and age, being online is a necessity,” she said.
Rose Township, located just south of Holly in Northwest Oakland County, has areas of farmland and forest, and homes spread far apart, making it more costly for internet service providers to set up the infrastructure needed for access. Some property owners are simply told no, while others are able to have access, but only if they pay for the lines to be run. “The cost can be in the thousands of dollars,” she said. One resident was given an estimate of $16,000 just to be able to connect.
It isn’t just Rose Township having problems. While rural areas may not get access at all, those in low income city areas can also struggle with capacity issues, as the infrastructure is not robust enough to handle peoples’ internet needs.
Oakland County is partnering with Macomb and Wayne Counties to do a survey across the region accessing internet needs. The focus is on broadband access, not just looking at if a connection is available, but also if the connection provides enough strength to do tasks like online meetings and streaming. It also helps access cost barriers.
The survey is being done through the nonprofit Merit.edu and is open to residents and business owners across the region to share their online access experiences. There are just a few simple questions, which should take less than five minutes to complete. Surveys are done online but there is a paper option available. Surveys have been mailed to some households. If you need a paper survey or have questions about the survey, call 313-625-0029.
The survey was approved by the Oakland County Board of Commissioners and is being championed by County Executive Dave Coulter. “Widespread and affordable access to broadband service is more important than ever for our residents, our students and our businesses,” Coulter said. “This survey is the first step toward identifying gaps in service so we can make the necessary investments to ensure equitable access to the internet.”
Supervisor Scheib-Snider is doing her best to get the word out. “This is our chance to make sure that residents in Rose Township and our neighbors in Holly and Highland are heard.”
Complete the survey at https://www.merit.edu/Tri-County-BroadBand/
