Saginaw Township Needs Resident Survey Participation to Assist in Broadband Internet Expansion Efforts

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Aug 25, 2021, 08:55 ET

SAGINAW TOWNSHIP, Mich., Aug. 25, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Saginaw Charter Township wants to lead the region in high speed Internet connectivity. Improving community broadband is a priority in its five year strategic plan. The Township has identified that data demonstrating the need are necessary in order to satisfy requests to the federal government for funding. To obtain that data, Saginaw Township contracted with Merit Network, Inc., and is seeking Township-wide input from the residents and businesses, in the form of a survey.

In some areas of Saginaw Township, high-speed Internet is not available, expensive, or unreliable. In order to bridge this "digital divide," Saginaw Township needs to gain a better picture of who has the Internet access they need. A survey was developed by Merit Network that will provide accurate data regarding Internet access, speeds, and costs across the Township. Information gathered will only be used to support broadband Internet expansion efforts and will aid the Township in seeking grant funding to increase broadband availability in Saginaw Township. The success of this survey relies on resident and business participation to help measure broadband access.

"Now, more than ever, Saginaw Township families and businesses rely on their Internet to connect with everyday life, work, school, family, friends, and church," said Saginaw Township Manager James Wickman. "The quality of our Internet must be on par with the quality of life we have enjoyed in the Township for generations."

The survey is being conducted through a partnership with the Michigan Moonshot initiative, which aims to bridge the digital divide in Michigan. With the participation of Saginaw Township residents, these organizations will collect the necessary data to develop a realistic representation of current broadband coverage and speeds. Accurate, unbiased data will assist in drawing necessary state and federal funds to the community.

Residents are being asked to visit MichiganMoonshot.org/SaginawTwp to complete the brief survey, whether they pay for Internet access at their property or not. The survey results will provide granular information about residents' broadband speeds and availability to aid Saginaw Township in gathering the necessary data for grant applications.

ABOUT THE MICHIGAN MOONSHOT: The Michigan Moonshot is a collective call to action which aims to bridge the digital divide in Michigan. Stakeholders include Merit Network, the nation's longest-running research and education network, the Quello Center at Michigan State University and M-Lab, the largest open Internet measurement platform in the world. Learn more about the Michigan Moonshot at Merit.edu/Moonshot.

MEDIA CONTACT:
James Wickman
[email protected]
(989) 791-9800

For more information:
MichiganMoonshot.org/SaginawTwp

SOURCE Merit Network