Done planning and "ready to go": How Michigan is navigating the BEAD process

What happens when a massive federal broadband program gets paused, rewritten, and restarted?

Live from Fiber Connect 2026, we talk with Michigan’s Chief Connectivity Officer, Eric Frederick, about navigating the BEAD program's "administrative slog." Learn how Michigan is using everything from Great Lakes subsea cables to AI literacy to finally get shovels in the ground and close the Digital Divide.

Recommended links:

Eric Frederick LinkedIn

Michigan High-Speed Internet Office (MiHi)

Transcript

Jessica Denson, Podcast Host (00:07):

This is Connect to Nation, an award-winning podcast focused on all things broadband. From closing the digital divide to improving your internet speeds, we talk technology topics that impact all of us, our families, and our neighborhoods. On this episode of Connected Nation, I talk with the chief connectivity officer for My High, the Michigan High Speed Internet Office. Find out what they would like to see done with non-deployment speed funds, the guidance they're waiting for, and we could finally see shovels in the ground. I'm Jessica Denson, and this is Connected Nation. I'm at Fiber Connect 2026, which is taking place in Orlando, Florida, May 17th through the 20th. And I have the pleasure of having Eric Frederick, who is the chief connectivity officer for the My High Office, which stands for the Michigan High Speed Internet Office. Welcome, Eric. Eric Frederick, Chief Connectivity Office, MiHi (01:00):

Thanks for having me. Appreciate it. Jessica Denson, Podcast Host (01:02):

Yeah. Eric, it's always wonderful to see you and talk to you. He's a, a, a former colleague for Connect to Nation and then went on to pursue his passion even further, helping his home state of Michigan. Eric Frederick, Chief Connectivity Office, MiHi (01:13):

Yeah, it's, it's, it's been a journey for sure. I, I was looking back at a, the timeline, it's been 15 years- Oh, wow. ... since I've been working in the broadband space since I started at Connected Nation. This is my second NTIA funded program <laugh> that I've worked through. Um, very different, uh, from the first one, but yeah, it's been a, a decade and a half of trying to solve Michigan's digital divide. Jessica Denson, Podcast Host (01:36):

Wow. And I really think, I really still believe that Michigan's gonna be one of the first states that really, like, does it ubiquitously more so than others, just because of that foundation that you have. Eric Frederick, Chief Connectivity Office, MiHi (01:48):

Yeah. I mean, that's what, that's what we're shooting for. We definitely have our gaps, right? Mm-hmm. Every state does. Uh, we have our uniqueness as a, as a two peninsula state that- Yeah. ... uh, with a lot of water, a lot of rocks, um, a lot of beautiful places that make it challenging to build to. Um, but we're hopeful that the BEAD program will help offset some of those costs to, to really truly connect everyone in the state. We've got a, a big bold plan and we wanna see it through. Jessica Denson, Podcast Host (02:11):

The last time I talked to you, I think, was before BEAD was halted. And BEAD was ... We've since then, I think BEADS have been, had some stoppage and now it's going again. Uh, where are you in the process and, and how do you feel right now about it? Eric Frederick, Chief Connectivity Office, MiHi (02:23):

Yeah. The, the best way to describe where we are is that we are in an administrative slog. <laugh> It, we are in the minutia of getting to grant agreements. Mm-hmm. Uh, Michigan has 29 potential sub-grantees in BEAD, which is a lot. We have the third highest number of BEAD eligible locations in the country to be connected. Uh, so we have a lot to, to do to get to those grant agreements. Um, I apologize to our sub-grantees that grant agreement is 135 pages long. <laugh> It is, it is not a small document. Um, but we, you know, we wanna make sure that, um, we have grant agreements in place that, you know, truly ensure that the projects that are promised are built. Um- Jessica Denson, Podcast Host (03:00):

And, you know, I know it can seem, especially for the person at home or, or the local library or the school or whatever it may be that's waiting for that great connection. It might seem like this is taking forever, but building, having that foundation and building toward it is critical right now, right? Eric Frederick, Chief Connectivity Office, MiHi (03:17):

Oh, absolutely. Yeah. I mean, we have to have a solid plan. We have to have solid grant agreements and that's what, that's what we're doing, right? Mm-hmm. It's been, yes, it's been a long time since the Infrastructure Act was passed. Uh, it took a long time to get here. Uh, the revised policy notice last year did kind of halt things. We redid three years worth of work in about 90 days. Mm-hmm. Um, that was no small effort by not only Michigan, but other states too. So we have to have that solid foundation. Uh, we know if folks are anxious to get connected for sure. Um, uh, and as soon as we have that foundation set, we'll be off to the races. Jessica Denson, Podcast Host (03:49):

And I, I would say that I'm impressed by your team because not only doing the hard work, but you all live and work there and so this is important to you, right? Talk about your life in Michigan and why you decided to go back there and try to help in a very targeted way. Eric Frederick, Chief Connectivity Office, MiHi (04:07):

Yeah. I mean, because the work I did at Connected Nation, we were focused on Michigan or I was focused a lot on Michigan. Um, but once the office was established, it was important to go and see this thing through, right? We've been planning and planning and planning, planning for years. Mm-hmm. We finally have the resources to be able to do something about it and implement those plans. And I think that's, that was the most exciting part for me. But I mean, I've traveled all over the state. My staff live all over the state. I have a s- I have one staff member that lives on an island in the southern part of the UP. <laugh> Um, I have another that lives up in the snowbelt on the northern shore of the UP and, and then we're all over the lower peninsula as well. And so we all experience it.
(04:41)
Um, that, that, that lack of connectivity either personally or, you know, through our family members. Um, and so it is v- a very personal mission, not only for me, but for my staff as well to, to make sure we see this thing through. Jessica Denson, Podcast Host (04:52):

And, um, it's interesting that you mentioned that on the island to the north where there's, where it could be frozen. <laugh> Having such a vast topography and then what you, what people in Michigan call the mitten <laugh>- Yeah. ... you know? Um, how, how does that ad an extra layer of challenge? Eric Frederick, Chief Connectivity Office, MiHi (05:11):

It does. Uh, the, the two peninsula state is for sure a challenge. Um, you know, when we look at last mile connectivity, I think it's, it's very similar to, to doing last mile connections in any other state. We do have a lot of inland lakes too and a lot of rivers and things to get around. Uh, but when it comes to those middle mile connections in the state where we're trying to get this, you know, this residential traffic out to the broader internet, there's only so many places you can go in a two peninsula state. <laugh> Yeah. Um, so connections to Chicago, important connections, uh, through d- uh, Detroit, uh, into Ohio are important, of course, across from the upper peninsula, down into Wisconsin. So we rely on our, on our neighboring upper Midwest states- mm-hmm. ... uh, to help us with that, that connectivity. We also have an NTIA funded Middle Mile project in Michigan, uh, that our office wasn't, um, we weren't directly part of, but, uh, it's, it's creating more, uh, under lake fiber routes to increase that connectivity for redundancy and resiliency of the networks that we have in Michigan.
(06:05)
So it's a very unique challenge- mm-hmm. ... um, to try and, uh, connect all these places in the state when there's only so many places to leave. Jessica Denson, Podcast Host (06:13):

You know, it, it strikes me when you say under lakes, uh, there's a whole part of the internet ecosphere that is about subsea cables. Is that kind of how you approach it as a subsea cable- Eric Frederick, Chief Connectivity Office, MiHi (06:25):

Yeah, that's exactly it. Jessica Denson, Podcast Host (06:26):

... giant ... Eric Frederick, Chief Connectivity Office, MiHi (06:26):

Yeah. Yeah. So part of it's gonna go, uh, from the southwest corner of the lower peninsula under, uh, on the bottom of Lake Michigan to Chicago to create another interconnection route there instead of on land. And then another section is gonna go from kind of the, the tip of the mitt, so Charlevoix area to Beaver Island, and then Beaver Island to the Upper Peninsula. Um, and so it's, it's a very exciting project. Incredible. Yeah. I, I wanna go see the, the cable ang ship when it gets into the great lake. You near it out a little bit, aren't you? Oh yeah, a little bit, for sure. <laugh> Um, but it just, again, it, it helps build that redundancy so that we can ensure that our, our, the connections that we are building right now for bead and through many of the other programs, uh, um, have that reliability. Jessica Denson, Podcast Host (07:03):

Yeah. And the Great Lakes, they're, they're, they are giant. <laugh> It's like an ocean. Eric Frederick, Chief Connectivity Office, MiHi (07:07):

It's an inland seat, right? Anybody Jessica Denson, Podcast Host (07:08):

Who's never seen it. It's, it is. Yeah, really is. Um, so for you, let me backtrack. I've talked to several state broadband offices. Um, most recently the, um, the state broadband, um, the head of Colorado, Brandy Ryder, and she told me that a lot of the state broadband offices do talk to each other. Mm-hmm. Are you having conversations? Are you f- are you all, are you helping others with some of the sh- issues they have and vice versa or sharing some of your successes? Eric Frederick, Chief Connectivity Office, MiHi (07:37):

Yeah. I, I think the, the camaraderie that has been found and created between the state broadband offices is one of the most exciting parts of this job. Mm-hmm. So it's always great to come to these conferences and find my friends from Minnesota or Colorado or, or wherever else that they come from, um, because we do share, we do collaborate, um, you know, we wanna hear about how one state is handling one particular issue. If we can't find the answer, we can always go talk to our, our, our sister states and figure out how, how they're approaching it. And we might not be able to do the same thing, but at least it gives us more ideas. So that collaboration is absolutely key. Mm-hmm. Um, and it, it's, it's, again, like I said, one of the greatest things. The, the NTIA since 2011 has, has brought together the state broadband leaders network, um, and I've been part of that group ever since then.
(08:22)
And so to see that group kind of change and morph over time, um, I think there's maybe, maybe two other directors that are currently in their offices now that were, that have been there since the beginning as well. So there's been a lot of turnover as well, so whenever a new director comes to a state, you know, we, we all, the rest of us try to get together and, and help them, you know, answer questions and get acclimated. I really Jessica Denson, Podcast Host (08:43):

Appreciate Eric Frederick, Chief Connectivity Office, MiHi (08:43):

That. Yeah. Jessica Denson, Podcast Host (08:44):

Yes. Give me some knowledge to Eric Frederick, Chief Connectivity Office, MiHi (08:45):

That Jessica Denson, Podcast Host (08:45):

Institutional knowledge, please. Uh, <laugh> so, uh, we, you mentioned the NTIA and we don't want to, I know this can be somewhat of a difficult thing to talk about, but the non-deployment funds. Eric Frederick, Chief Connectivity Office, MiHi (08:55):

Yeah. Jessica Denson, Podcast Host (08:56):

Um, we talked about the stoppage with a bid last year where you were, everybody was asked to go back to the, the drawing board and to do the benefit of the bargain where you found, um, other technologies and stuff. But long story short, that left about half of the money still there that's still for states, is still set aside for states. What is it that you're waiting on to be able to use the rest of your funds? Eric Frederick, Chief Connectivity Office, MiHi (09:18):

Yeah. Um, yeah, like you said, so Congress intended those funds to go to the states. Mm-hmm. Uh, Michigan has about half a billion dollars that's just sitting there, um, and we, what we need is guidance from NTIA because when they re- issued the revised policy notice last year, uh, it essentially said nothing on, on non-deployment, right? It was just full stop. And so we are waiting on that guidance from NTIA, um, to be able to use those funds. The Infrastructure Act is very clear that there's a lot of different things that those funds can be used for to really augment and enhance the deployment funds that are already, you know, going out the door and, and our grant agreements are being signed for. So there's so many things we could do because the, the digital divide is not just that infrastructure, right? And I've said it a million times before, but, uh, build it and they will come, doesn't work for broadband, it works for ghost baseball fields in Iowa, but not, but not for broadband.
(10:10)
And so we need to make sure that we're addressing the demand side of the equation. We're building supply, for sure. We're building lots of supply with bead, but we need to address demand and make sure that customers come to those networks and they're leveraging it to improve their quality of life. And to do that, these non-deployment funds could allow us to address issues of broadband adoption, whether it's skills or workforce or devices or affordability or anything, cyber safety, trust, all these big barriers to the digital divide that we know are there so that we can make sure that the networks we're building with the remainder of the fund, the other funds are sustainable. And I think that's really, really key. We know NTIA, um, you know, wants to default proof these bead projects and that's great. We have the same goal. We don't want to see them default either.
(10:51)
Mm-hmm. They need customers and subscribers. And so leveraging those non-deployment funds to address demand while we're building supply is the smart way to use them. Jessica Denson, Podcast Host (11:01):

And don't you think it's, it's really, uh, makes sense to have each state make a decision about how those non-deployment funds are used because they're gonna see where their holes are? Eric Frederick, Chief Connectivity Office, MiHi (11:12):

E- exactly. Uh, we, all the states have unique needs. Mm-hmm. Uh, you know, for example, one of the ideas that's been filting around is Next Gen 911. Could these funds be used for that? Well, the infrastructure access, yes. Um, Michigan doesn't necessarily need it for next gen 911, so we would pivot to something else. So, but that's where the, you know, the state based part of this program is really key. We know our state's best, we know where the gaps are, um, and we just need the guidance on how to fill those Jessica Denson, Podcast Host (11:36):

So have you guys had conversations, you know, around AI? I, I can't let you go without asking that question because AI is in the air, the age of AI right now. Um, how are you tackling that or are you having people or even ISPs or just customers or just the state itself saying, "Hey, what do we do about AI?" Eric Frederick, Chief Connectivity Office, MiHi (11:55):

I mean, it is, I mean, it, it's a gigantic topic right that can really touch everything from the local zoning issues related to data centers all the way up to how the state leverages AI for whatever it's, it needs to do. Um, one of the, I think one of the most prominent ways that it's come up is in the workforce. How do we prepare Michiganders in the workforce for what's coming? We don't want jobs replaced by AI, right? But we want folks to be able to leverage AI in their work. And so because our office sits within the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, there's lots of talk about how do we, um, how do we encourage AI literacy, AI digital literacy and information literacy, uh, for a workforce so we can, you know, not pivot quickly, but so we can move forward quickly as AI again expands so rapidly across the entire country.
(12:47)
So I think that's the one way that has really manifested most recently is in, on the workforce side and we would love to use non-deployment funds to help to address that challenge. Jessica Denson, Podcast Host (12:56):

Which it could be a big help and, um, the administration, Trump administration itself said AI was a priority. So, um, just putting that out there. <laugh> <laugh> Uh, so, you know, there, there are some fears around AI. Have you heard anything about that? Like, are people or uncertainties maybe- Eric Frederick, Chief Connectivity Office, MiHi (13:14):

Yeah, I think that's really, I think it's the uncertainty piece. I think that's, I think you, that's the right word to use. Um, my background's in urban and regional planning, so I see a lot of the, like, the data center citing, right? Uh-huh. And, and, and fears over, you know, the issues of data centers, which of course, you know, need fiber to operate. Um, and so we've, we've definitely ... I, I think uncertainty is, is definitely the right word. People don't want their jobs taken. It's uncertain how it's going to impact, um, society at a large. How is it going to affect the healthcare industry? How is it going to affect education? <laugh> So I think, you know, i- if, if there's some, some leadership and some structure and some, um, some framework around the future of AI, I think that helps to reduce that uncertainty, but it's really across the board, uh, because it's one of those technologies that is, I think is going to touch every single sector. Jessica Denson, Podcast Host (14:04):

Yeah. It's, you have to at least approach it and start to learn about it a little bit, I think, to even just tackle it. Um, you know, you, you talked a little bit about non-deployment for, um, those other things like affordability and access and, and you would include AI training, but you also mean digital skills training too. Eric Frederick, Chief Connectivity Office, MiHi (14:22):

Yeah. Right? Jessica Denson, Podcast Host (14:22):

Like general, just digital skills training? Eric Frederick, Chief Connectivity Office, MiHi (14:25):

A- absolutely. I mean, you can't, you can't do AI literacy training without having the foundation, right? Right. And so, yeah, digital skills training I think is absolutely critical, um, to then get to the more advanced. Um, and, and with AI literacy and even digital literacy, I think it's, there's obviously the actual tech skills that go along with those things, but then there's information literacy and I think that's, that's huge not only for the AI side, but for the cyber safety side too. So it's, I think digital literacy has morphed a little bit and needs to maybe add that I for information literacy in there too, because I think that's what it's about. Having the skills to get on the internet, yes, is one thing, but once you're there, being able to interpret what you're seeing, avoid scams, leverage AI, like those, that's information skills. Mm-hmm.
(15:09)
Um, and those are absolutely critical. Jessica Denson, Podcast Host (15:11):

That's an, that's an interesting way to put it. I really, I think that's great. So, you know, we talked, I mentioned the benefit of the bargain and how you went back to the drawing board and before a lot of things that were fiber first, um, there's been more of an agnostic look at technology, right? Uh, what's the good and bad of that? Eric Frederick, Chief Connectivity Office, MiHi (15:31):

So there are technologies that, that work in places where others don't, right? And, and, and I think all technologies were always going to be part of our bead strategy. They had to be. I have three broadband surfaceable locations on Isle Royal National Park in the middle of Lake Superior. I'm not building fiber to those. <laugh> Yeah. Right? So there's, there's places where every technology, or a technology would be more appropriate than another. However, we want to make sure that we're investing in technology that meets the connectivity needs of our residents now- mm-hmm. ... and also 30 years from now. And we know, we know fiber can do that. Um, we've seen it, we've seen the history of it. There's fiber strands that have been in the ground since the 60s that are still used today, right? We just change electronics on either end of those and suddenly, you know, the, that capacity has just increased without another investment on that, on that infrastructure.
(16:25)
So, you know, we, uh, had standards in our, uh, in our bead process that really defined that scalability factor, right? That's what we wanted to see and the projects that were chosen were based on that. Um, you know, there's very qualitative standards of scalability, which was allowed by NTIA and the Infrastructure Act. Mm-hmm. And so again, we want to invest in technologies that are scalable and meet a community's needs now and in the future, period. Jessica Denson, Podcast Host (16:49):

Um, we, we also mentioned data centers just briefly. Um, one of the things that I've heard around that discussion is the idea of energy and power. Yeah. Um, our energy and, uh, cooling even too, um, with, with the, the energy drain because of that. So have you, are you guys exploring some of that? Are you talking to some of the AI big giants like NVIDIA and stuff like that about this possibility and what it could mean for Michigan or is it something that, um, you guys aren't sure about at this point? Eric Frederick, Chief Connectivity Office, MiHi (17:24):

So that, I know discussions have been happening, not necessarily in our office. Mm-hmm. Um, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, um, I know has been working on the data center side. Um, if you've never been to Michigan spoiler alert, we have harsh winters- <laugh> Yeah. ... uh, that are really easy for cooling things. Um, so I, I know that the state has definitely been eyed as a, as a place to- That's, I, Jessica Denson, Podcast Host (17:45):

I hadn't Eric Frederick, Chief Connectivity Office, MiHi (17:46):

Thought about that. Right. Jessica Denson, Podcast Host (17:47):

Just the fact Eric Frederick, Chief Connectivity Office, MiHi (17:47):

That it's colder. Yeah. Jessica Denson, Podcast Host (17:48):

Yeah. Eric Frederick, Chief Connectivity Office, MiHi (17:48):

You don't even have to spend nearly as much on cooling in Michigan as you would in Arizona- Uh-huh. ... um, during the winter months. Um, so it is, it definitely is a geographic advantage for us. Mm-hmm. Um, but, you know, we want to make sure that those data centers are designed smartly and that, you know, the communities, um, you know, are, are treated fairly in that process as well. So I know it's, I know it's come up. It's definitely not something that our office has really looked at, um, but of course our sister agencies have. Jessica Denson, Podcast Host (18:11):

Uh-huh. And, uh, some of the, um, state broadband offices are leaders that I've talked to have said that they really hope that the broadband office morphs as technology changes as in a lot of, not, not, this is not necessarily the case for Michigan in the last couple years, but my high was, when did that start? About five, six years ago? Eric Frederick, Chief Connectivity Office, MiHi (18:31):

2022. Jessica Denson, Podcast Host (18:32):

Okay. So, um, you know, a lot of states had to stand up their broadband offices. Uh, I've heard talk that they really like it to morph as technology morphs that the, this is not something that should just necessarily go away, that there should be something that looks at connectivity and technology and access moving forward. How do you see it? Is this something that you wanna just build and then close shop or you'd like to see it morph as well? Eric Frederick, Chief Connectivity Office, MiHi (18:54):

No, I think it's gonna, I, I, I agree. I think it's going to have to morph. Mm-hmm. And I think it's going to have to more focus on that demand side because once say, once we have fiber everywhere, let's say, or, you know, connectivity to every location, which is the intent of BEAD and these other programs, you know, then if we have to focus on the demand side and the goalposts on the demand side keep changing as AI develops or whatever comes after AI, you know, develops or quantum computing or whatever it is, right? We, I think that side of our office is going to have to constantly evolve to address these new challenges and make sure that our state is ahead, um, uh, and leading the way on these, again, whatever technology comes next because, you know, when we started working on digital literacy 15 years ago at Connected Nation, we were talking about how to turn on your desktop and click a mouse, right?
(19:42)
And now we have to teach people how to leverage an AI large, you know, large language model. Like that's, those are very different things. <laugh> And it's come a long way, but I, that, that those goalposts are just going to constantly be moving on that demand side and we don't want to leave anybody behind. Jessica Denson, Podcast Host (19:55):

And it's moving so fast. Is it, is it difficult to stay in front of that? Eric Frederick, Chief Connectivity Office, MiHi (19:59):

It, it really is. <laugh> It's challenging, especially at a policy level. Like, you know, personally, you can, you can keep up with it and read the news and see what's happening and, and try to, to educate yourself on it, but policy moves slowly, uh, that's a challenging thing to do. Um, so making sure that our legislatures, um, and our administrations in our states, you know, see the office as a place that is able to move quickly and, and enables them to do so, I think is a really key to, to making sure that the, the longevity of the office is there and can then adapt quickly to whatever comes. I think we've s- we've seen, I'm sorry, we've shown as states we can adapt quickly with that revised policy notice that came out. I mean- Yeah. ... we moved incredibly quickly, um, last summer when we had to, to implement the bar- benefit of the bargain round.
(20:44)
So, you know, enable us to do that as technology involves too. Jessica Denson, Podcast Host (20:48):

And like you said, you turned three years, turned it around in 90 days <laugh>, what you took three years before. Uh, you know, your lieutenant governor is, he has a background in technology. Is that kind of a, is that a benefit to you all? Eric Frederick, Chief Connectivity Office, MiHi (21:01):

Oh yeah, absolutely. Um- Bec- Yes, because I don't have to start with the explanation of what the internet is or any of these technologies, right? He is on top of it. Um, so that has been incredibly helpful. Um, uh, he and I served on the FCC's, uh, Intergovernmental Affairs Advisory Committee. Uh-huh. Um, and that was interesting, um, to, to, to meet with that group of local leader, local and state leaders from across the country, uh, to talk about various issues, uh, with the FCC. So he, he is definitely plugged in and gets it, um, and that's been a really big benefit for us. Jessica Denson, Podcast Host (21:32):

So what are you most excited about in the coming year as these, these, uh, sub-grantees get signed, work starts to move forward and when do you see shovels in the ground? Eric Frederick, Chief Connectivity Office, MiHi (21:43):

Yeah. I, I mean, the most exciting part is that shovels in the ground actually getting going. Uh, signing grant agreements is going to be a huge milestone. Um, we want, we hope to finish that by mid-June. Mm-hmm. I think that's what I'm most excited about. I wanna start, you know, talking about our sub-grantees. I wanna do profiles of our sub-grantees. I wanna talk about the projects that they're gonna be building. Um, and then of course getting shovels in the ground. I'm, I'm looking at probably late summer, early fall for some of our projects. It's gona depend on permitting and, um, getting through the, the NEPA process for anybody that's familiar with that, i- is not an easy thing. Um, but that's what I'm most excited for is actually these projects getting underway, getting grant agreements signed and, you know, we're off to the races. Jessica Denson, Podcast Host (22:22):

That's, that's exciting. And, um, when we were talking before we started the interview, you said we're just ready to go. Eric Frederick, Chief Connectivity Office, MiHi (22:28):

Yeah. I, I think every state did. Uh, we're, we're, we are done planning, we are done writing policy, we're done that we, it's, it is time to go. I think- Um, and that's what- People are Jessica Denson, Podcast Host (22:38):

Gonna be excited to hear that. <laugh> Eric Frederick, Chief Connectivity Office, MiHi (22:39):

Yeah. For sure. I mean, we have 200,000 locations to connect in Michigan. That's not a small number. Uh, again, it's the third highest, you know, uh, bead location count in the country. Mm-hmm. Um, and that's 200,000 homes and businesses and institutions that need that connectivity and we're gona try and get to them as fast as we can. Jessica Denson, Podcast Host (22:59):

Sorry. Do you have a timeline that you think that you guys would have that work finished? In a perfect world, of course, nothing has, has jumbled it up or- Right. ... you know, there's not a crazy earthquake or something insane or, or change in policy that you have to shift again. But in a perfect world, if say you had shovels in the ground the, at the end of the summer or early fall, what would be the timeline to finish? Eric Frederick, Chief Connectivity Office, MiHi (23:21):

Yeah. I mean, every, every grantee has four years, right, by mandated to, to be able to finish their projects. I think we have some sub-grantees that have told us two years, um, subtools three, so it's definitely gonna be all over the board, but I think there are some that are gonna finish relatively quickly. Um, so within, wi- within 18 to 24 months of signing that grant agreement, uh, just depending on, again, anything that might come up. <laugh> Jessica Denson, Podcast Host (23:45):

That's exciting. Eric Frederick, Chief Connectivity Office, MiHi (23:46):

Yeah. Jessica Denson, Podcast Host (23:46):

Yeah. And in your perfect world, what would you like to see the next year, five years, 10 years down the road from Michigan? Eric Frederick, Chief Connectivity Office, MiHi (23:53):

Yeah. So in the next, let's say in the next year, we, again, we, all of our projects have started, nothing has delayed them in the next five, making sure that we're staying on top of locations that may have been missed by Bead or missed by other programs that are happening right now. Um, of course we don't wish that any of that, but we would need to m- monitor it and make sure that that doesn't happen. That's Jessica Denson, Podcast Host (24:13):

Reality, Eric Frederick, Chief Connectivity Office, MiHi (24:14):

Re- being Jessica Denson, Podcast Host (24:14):

Realistic. Eric Frederick, Chief Connectivity Office, MiHi (24:15):

Exactly. Um, so making sure that we have truly solved that, that, that connectivity piece and then start to, like we talked about before, morphing into what comes next, addressing demand, addressing skills, addressing affordability, because just, just because we build a fiber line down the road or that Starlink is available doesn't mean that a person subscribes. We have to address that challenge. And I think that's really what's gona be next and that's gonna be the, the hard work, um, over the next five to 10 years is working to address those non-infrastructure challenges, the digital divide. Jessica Denson, Podcast Host (24:47):

Well, Michigan is lucky to have you. Yeah. Uh, we, we were, we're, we're sad at Connected Nation not having you with us anymore. <laugh> 'Cause I can tell from, uh, working with you that you truly care about this issue and so I wish you all the luck and I hope we can do a follow-up soon, be excited to see that subsea cable late <laugh>. Eric Frederick, Chief Connectivity Office, MiHi (25:05):

Yeah, no, I, I'm very excited for that to happen. That would be very Jessica Denson, Podcast Host (25:07):

Cool. Eric Frederick, Chief Connectivity Office, MiHi (25:08):

That's a ver- it's a very unique project. Yeah. Um, I, I, I wanna do a field trip when we get to that one. Yeah, Jessica Denson, Podcast Host (25:13):

I would like to come on that field trip. Yeah. <laugh> Well, again, I've been talking with Eric Frederick, who is the chief connectivity officer, which is the best title, chief connectivity officer of, for the My High Office, which is the Michigan High Speed Internet Office. Thank you so much, Eric. Eric Frederick, Chief Connectivity Office, MiHi (25:26):

Yeah, thanks for having me. Jessica Denson, Podcast Host (25:34):

I'll continue my coverage from Fiber Connect 2026 in upcoming episodes of the Connected Nation Podcast. Until then, I'm Jessica Denson and this is Connected Nation. If you wanna know more about us, head to connectednation.org and you can find our latest episodes on your favorite podcast platform.