Genesee County, MI – NextGenesee, a collaborative effort between Genesee County and Merit Network, has cleared the first hurdle in its mission to ensure that, in the future, every home and business in the county has access to high-speed, high-quality, and affordable Internet.  

This week, members of the Genesee County Broadband Task Force met to analyze the findings from the comprehensive countywide broadband survey launched last fall. The survey aimed to identify the challenges faced by residents in accessing high-speed, high-quality, and affordable Internet and participating in the online economy. Nearly 2,200 residents from every corner of the county took part in the survey, offering invaluable, statistically significant feedback that will play a crucial role in shaping the next steps of NextGenesee. 

“We’re incredibly proud of the response to the survey and are grateful to everyone who took the time to participate,” said Dr. Beverly Brown, Genesee County Commissioner and member of NextGenesee. “The data will help us determine how to move forward with this initiative, which we are confident has the potential to have a major impact on the economic and community development prospects of Genesee County for the betterment of all residents.” 

Key Takeaways 

• Access to high-speed, high-quality, and affordable Internet is a major challenge for the vast majority of residents in Genesee County. In far too many corners of Genesee County, the speed is slow, the quality is low and the price is high.  
• The overwhelming majority of respondents (88 percent) indicated they have some form of Internet service in their home; of that group, the most prevalent type of service was cable, a service technology that has been in use for nearly 30 years and has significant speed and usage limitations.  
• Only 5 percent of residents reported having fiber optic internet, considered the gold standard for Internet speed and reliability.  
• Of the 88 percent who have home Internet service, 63 percent were dissatisfied with the cost of their service. The survey found a direct correlation between the level of dissatisfaction and the frequency of connectivity problems. 
• Users of satellite and cellular Internet, most often used in rural communities without access wired connections, reported more frequent connectivity problems. 
• Among residents who do not have a home Internet connection, 41 percent cited cost as the primary barrier. 

Mike Dawisha, Chief Information Officer of Genesee County and Chair of the Broadband Task Force , says the initiative’s ultimate goal is to navigate the challenges highlighted in the survey by developing a robust middle-mile fiber network within Genesee County.  To that end, the Genesee County Board of Commissioners has allocated $4 million as the first seed investment for the initiative.  

“We’re excited about the potential of NextGenesee to transform the digital landscape of Genesee County,” Dawisha said. “This infrastructure is designed to create a competitive environment that results in vastly improved Internet quality and affordability for all households and businesses. This initiative will have a major positive impact on the growth prospects of Genesee County, both economically and in the quality of life of our residents.” 

Another aspect of the survey related to digital literacy, specifically the level of comfort respondents have with utilizing technology in their everyday lives.  

The survey found that many residents encounter significant obstacles related to the use of technology and the skills needed to navigate the Internet for basic needs. Additionally, senior citizen and low-income households, as two examples, often encounter specific digital access challenges, highlighting the necessity for targeted outreach and training opportunities. 

“We are still in the process of digesting the survey findings, so there will be much more to come,” Dr. Brown said. “What we have achieved thus far, alongside our partners in this endeavor, is a stronger understanding of the needs that exist in our community and a clear-eyed vision of how we can meet them in the future.” 

Moving forward, NextGenesee will identify a funding model for the infrastructure required to create a fiber network, continuing to garner the support of local communities across Genesee County, and forming partnerships with private Internet Service Providers (ISPs) that would have access to the network to provide this valuable service to residents. 

For more information, contact Jared Field, Director of Communications for Genesee County, at jfield@geneseecountymi.gov.