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Technology Company Working to Provide Internet to Rural Communities

Published by UpNorthLive on August 17, 2019

By Paul Steeno

LEELANAU COUNTY, Mich., (WPBN/WGTU) -- Internet connects people to the world so having slow internet or no access at all is very frustrating.

A local technology company is working to solve that problem one town at a time.

Cherry Capital Communications is providing homes in rural Cheboygan better access to internet.

Many of these Cheboygan homes previously had access to internet, but the addition of fiber-optic cables make access to the internet more dependable and much faster.

Around 75 homes have signed up for the service and Cherry Capital Communications estimates 156 will sign up when it’s all said and done.

“Their options here are pretty limited,” Community Technology Advisor Tom Stephenson said. “The technology the fixed wireless is unlicensed they have old telephone lines so the speeds that are available with those technologies is now getting to the point where it’s not useful for the residents.

Congressman Jack Bergman attended the ceremony this afternoon to celebrate Cherry Capital Communication’s venture.

He recently introduced his rural broadband connectivity act which would provide incentives to businesses to provide high-speed internet in places that don’t have it.

“In order to live our normal lives, we need high-speed internet connectivity,” Bergman said.

Bergman is optimistic his bill will pass and help improve the lives of other Michiganders as well.

People weren’t moving to rural areas around here because of the lack of high-speed internet.

These point on conduits to fiber-optic cables should help with that too.

Cherry Capital Communications also hopes projects like this will bring more good paying jobs to Michigan.

Read the original article here