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President Obama Turns to Michigan to Launch National Wireless Initiative

Lansing, MI. (February 10, 2011) — President Obama is visiting Northern Michigan University in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula today to launch the National Wireless Initiative.

Also this week, Connect Michigan, a Connected Nation state-based initiative, released the
2010 Business Technology Assessment, the state’s first study on broadband and technology use in businesses. The survey pinpoints business technology adoption rates across the state and illustrates the economic challenges and opportunities expected to be addressed by the President during his visit.

White House officials announced that Marquette, home of Northern Michigan University, was chosen because the city’s wireless network is a model worth duplicating in other rural areas across the nation. Findings from the Connect Michigan report illustrate a significant correlation between high-speed Internet adoption and economic empowerment.

Expanding technology on campuses and in communities is a winning strategy that transforms local economies and creates jobs. The Connect Michigan report reveals that median annual revenues among Michigan businesses that use broadband and have a website are double the state average.

The President’s National Wireless Initiative launch comes just one week before the NTIA releases the National Broadband Map which will graphically display broadband availability across the United States. As the
broadband mapping agent for the state of Michigan, Connect Michigan has been working with the state’s providers to gather and verify the data for the national map.