TDS Telecom has partially completed a portion of its broadband stimulus-funded project in Michigan's U.P.--around Bois Blanc Island--extending broadband service to some residential and business customers.
When the project is completed later this month, the telco will be able to provide broadband service to nearly 300 customers.
As part of this buildout, TDS is laying over 20 miles of fiber cabling and installing several remote terminal (RT) cabinets throughout its Island Telephone Company subsidiary territory to provide broadband services.
Similar to other projects, TDS said it will alert customers when service is available or customers can call 888-225-5837 to sign up.
By leveraging American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding, TDS said that it has expanded high-speed Internet access to nearly 32,000 households across the country.
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Outside of Michigan, TDS Telecom recently completed similar broadband stimulus projects in both Kentucky and Virginia.
Larry Boehm, director of network implementation and optimization for TDS, told FierceTelecom in a recent interview that it is nearing the end of the broadband stimulus buildout cycle and that customers that have been turned on are seeing positive speeds.
"The nice part is seeing the customers saying they finally got it," he said. "They must think the telephone company really did not do anything and just turned it on because they went from extremely slow speeds to instantaneous higher bandwidth."
Bois Blanc Island and Arizona are amongst the last projects set to be completed.
"Our Bois Blanc Island will be converted this fall and then Arizona will cut late this year or early next," Boehm said. "We have about 1,000 customers left and 31,700 have been converted, which surpassed our application of 27,000."
For more:
- see the release
Special report: TDS' stimulus program will breathe broadband life into 27,000 rural households
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