By Art Nicholas
For years, many residents across Allegan County faced a frustrating reality: living in modern Michigan but unable to stream a video, attend a virtual doctor’s appointment, or complete homework reliably. A sweeping broadband initiative — now essentially complete — is changing that picture dramatically, connecting thousands of rural households to fiber-optic internet for the first time.
“We are pleased with the progress made with the Allegan County Broadband Improvement project to bring high-speed internet to county residents. This expansion of internet services to Allegan County households has an impact on people’s safety, well-being, healthcare, and education” County Administrator Rob Sarro remarked.
The centerpiece of the effort is a $65 million public-private partnership between Allegan County and 123NET, a Southfield-based internet provider. The project, funded in part by a $30 million ROBIN (Realizing Opportunities with Broadband Infrastructure Networks) grant from the Michigan High Speed Internet Office, along with $17.5 million each from Allegan County’s American Rescue Plan Act funds and 123NET itself, set out to construct roughly 1,100 miles of high-capacity fiber across the county.
123Net owns the infrastructure but the organization is open to creating wholesale type agreements with other carriers. These agreements could include IRU fiber leases or the sale of layer 2 access similar to arrangements that happen in the cellular network industry.
The project’s progress has been remarkable. Construction began with the connection of the county’s first residential customer in Shelbyville in November 2023. Since then, the buildout has accelerated steadily. According to Sarro the finish line is essentially in sight.
“As a result of these efforts, 99% of the new 123Net fiber backbone has now been completed, and 97.4% of the targeted addresses are connected and able to utilize reliable high-speed internet.”
Of the roughly 18,000 residents who now have access to 123NET services, 6,331 have signed up as active customers — a 35% take rate across the service area. The County noted that the real adoption rate among households with no prior high-speed alternative is likely considerably higher, since many of those customers had been relying solely on satellite service or cellular data before fiber arrived.
From 123NET’s perspective, the Allegan County project has been a milestone unlike any other in the company’s history. Justin Lampman, COO of 123NET, described the rollout as a landmark achievement.
“This marks 123NET’s first large-scale grant-initiated project,” Lampman said. “What makes it especially meaningful is the impact. Many of these areas previously had little to no reliable internet options, with some residents limited to satellite service. Through the ROBIN grant, we have been able to deliver high-speed fiber connectivity to communities that need it most. As a Michigan-based company, being part of that kind of transformation is what drives us.”
The geographic reach of 123NET’s coverage is broad. Lampman said the network footprint spans communities including Allegan, Caledonia, Dorr, Fennville, Grand Junction, Hamilton, Hopkins, Hudsonville, Martin, Otsego, Plainwell, Pullman, Saugatuck, Shelbyville, Wayland, and Zeeland, with residents able to check eligibility by entering their address on the 123NET website.
But 123NET is not the only provider working to close the connectivity gap in the county. A comprehensive broadband plan developed in 2023 identified several additional carriers operating in or around Allegan County, each serving distinct geographic pockets. A public-private partnership between Lee Township and 123Net covers an additional 600 addresses; Mercury Broadband is designated for approximately 1,218; Midwest Energy & Communications serves around 2,274; Bloomingdale Communications covers about 616; Truestream is slated for approximately 937; and Charter Spectrum is listed for around 80 addresses. Three of those providers — Midwest Energy & Communications, Mercury Broadband, and Charter Spectrum — received funding through the federal Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF), while Bloomingdale Communications secured USDA ReConnect funding for areas bordering Van Buren County.
Allegan County has approximately 2,000 additional addresses included in the BEAD (Broadband Equity Access and Deployment) grant, part of the landmark Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021. Construction under BEAD is not expected to begin until 2027, and 194 of those addresses are slated to be served by Starlink satellite service, with the majority set to receive fiber.
“Thanks to these collective advancements, an impressive 96% of Allegan County residents now have access to high-speed internet services. As Allegan County concludes this Broadband Improvement project, our commitment remains steadfast. We will continue to support communities in identifying opportunities, rallying local engagement, and leveraging available resources to further increase the presence of internet service providers in areas that need it most.” Sarro explained.
For a county that has long ranked among Michigan’s more rural and underserved, the transformation already underway represents a generational shift. The combination of a determined county government, a willing private partner, and more than $65 million in combined investment has made Allegan a case study in what coordinated broadband expansion can accomplish — even as the work of ensuring every last address is covered continues.
Residents with questions about coverage can contact the Allegan County Broadband Project at broadband@allegancounty.org.
