Following an official announcement from the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the Capital Projects Fund is offering an opportunity to extend the deadline for broadband construction projects to June 30, 2027, providing states and internet providers additional time to complete critical infrastructure investments. Michigan’s Realizing Opportunities with Broadband Infrastructure (ROBIN) program, which is fully funded by the Capital Projects Fund, continues to make meaningful headway in expanding broadband access statewide, with several providers already completing projects or approaching the finish line.
Some ROBIN providers have experienced delays stemming from Michigan’s harsh winters and volatile weather conditions, which have narrowed construction seasons and slowed deployment efforts. The updated deadline, previously set for Dec. 31, 2026, offers added flexibility for providers as they continue working to deliver dependable, high-speed internet service to communities across Michigan.
MIHI team members attended the annual Merit members conference this month. This conference celebrated 60 years of the Merit Network, highlighted workforce development efforts and shared resources for communities interested in building out a municipal broadband network. Merit supports many broadband initiatives including the eduroam network. Eduroam is a wireless broadband network which grants K-20 students easy and secure access to the internet throughout their community. The eduroam network recently expanded in Detroit and includes over 200 access sites in the city.
Pictured: Joe Polasek and Daniel Hayes from the Michigan High Speed Internet Office attended the Merit Member Conference.
|
 MIHI has added new online resources to help residents, partners and stakeholders stay informed about broadband initiatives across the state. New additions include a Document Center page with materials organized by topic, a Subgrantee Resource page with guidance and tools for BEAD stakeholders and subgrantees and a MIHI Newsletter archive page where readers can access past newsletters and updates.
Visit the MIHI website to explore the new resources.
For 25 hours on Sept. 24-25, 2026, Connected Nation will conduct a digital skills marathon. This will be a live, global learning experience delivering practical digital, AI and online safety skills to people everywhere. You are invited to participate in this unique event as a participant or sponsor.
Visit the Connected Nation event page for more information.
Losing access to your email or social media account can happen to anyone. Hackers can use stolen accounts to access personal information or contact others in your name. Knowing how to recognize the signs and respond quickly can help you take back control and protect your information.
You may be able to tell if your account has been hacked if you cannot log in, receive alerts about changes you did not make or notice messages sent from your account that you did not write. Friends or family might also report strange messages or links coming from you. Unrecognized login alerts or activity from unfamiliar locations are also common warning signs. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recommends the following steps to recover and secure your account:
-
Run a security scan on your device and remove any suspicious software.
-
Follow the account recovery steps provided by the platform.
-
Change your account password and the password to the account recovery email address to a strong, unique password.
- Sign out of all devices connected to your account.
-
Turn on two step verification if available.
-
Review your account settings and remove anything you did not set up.
-
Enable account access notifications so you know when anyone logs into your account.
-
Notify your contacts about the incident.
|
