Eric Frederick, Chief Connectivity Officer

Chief Connectivity Officer : Michigan High-Speed Internet Office : Creating a more digitally equitable Michigan. Tweets are my own.

[Eric Frederick, Chief Connectivity Officer @MI_Broadband]

@crystaliveyTN @NTIAgov @bfineman Great seeing you yesterday. Thanks for all your guidance as we work towards #internetforall

[Eric Frederick, Chief Connectivity Officer @MI_Broadband]

Time to get to work! Honored to be with @POTUS today for this monumental announcement. This to @NTIAgov and the @FCC for your partnership and collaboration. Let's create a more digitally equitable Michigan for all.

[Eric Frederick, Chief Connectivity Officer @MI_Broadband]

Are you great with people and like to work with communities and partners? Come join my team and help us connect every Michigander to high-speed internet: https://t.co/55vkYq7FWd

[Eric Frederick, Chief Connectivity Officer @MI_Broadband]

Are you a GIS professional that wants to impact the lives of every Michigander? Join my team at the Michigan High-Speed Internet Office and help us achieve the goal of universal broadband availability: https://t.co/qKzZwayyt1 #internetforall #broadband

[Eric Frederick, Chief Connectivity Officer @MI_Broadband]

@JRosenworcelFCC @FCC ACP has been successful in boosting home broadband adoption in MI, but without continued funding, we're at risk of losing ground on achieving digital equity.

[Eric Frederick, Chief Connectivity Officer @MI_Broadband]

@angelasiefer @zackquaintance @govtechnews It can't end. Assuming we solve universal availability with BEAD, we then have the much harder task of overcoming systemic and deep-rooted barriers to equity, strategies for which will need to continually evolve to ensure we can get to true digital equity.

[Eric Frederick, Chief Connectivity Officer @MI_Broadband]

@km_dewit @GeoffreyStarks ACP needs a permanent funding source or we're going to be in trouble. We can't get into BEAD and all of a sudden lose such a substantial benefit for the adopters that need it the most.

[Eric Frederick, Chief Connectivity Officer @MI_Broadband]

@DougDawson_CCG Our office is listening first, then planning for BEAD. We have developed a structured engagement process and are in the middle of a 40-stop listening tour across MI. We also have a 300+ org. Partnership Roundtable we convene monthly. There're lots of questions we need to answer.

[Eric Frederick, Chief Connectivity Officer @MI_Broadband]

@mikeconlow @EricForsch @uscensusbureau @NTIAgov I need to refresh my numbers, but we used the census to break down some of the access barriers in MI: 69% have broadband, 6.8% satellite or dial-up, 2.7% mobile only but with multiple devices, 7.9% smart phone only, 2.4% access elsewhere, and 11.5% no access whatsoever.

[Eric Frederick, Chief Connectivity Officer @MI_Broadband]

@robertoge @INBroadband All good points. I’ve been working with some folks in MI to find a way to mitigate the issues with speed tests as a method for validating grant funded service deployment in the future.

[Eric Frederick, Chief Connectivity Officer @MI_Broadband]

@bibireisdorf We did too! I don't want to watch that app now.

[Eric Frederick, Chief Connectivity Officer @MI_Broadband]

More tour stops have been added! Join the MIHI Office on our 40-stop community listening tour at an event near you. Help us develop a plan to connect every Michigander: https://t.co/2MWP7Rsxvo
#community #broadband #internetforall #digitalequity

[Eric Frederick, Chief Connectivity Officer @MI_Broadband]

@DougDawson_CCG I believe the map can get better, but it's going to take time. We, the state office, have taken on the task of identifying fabric challenges statewide, and we'll be filing more than 300,000 availability challenges by this Friday.

[Eric Frederick, Chief Connectivity Officer @MI_Broadband]

MIHI is eager to hear from all Michiganders about the barriers keeping you or your community from the internet! Join us on the MI Connected Future listening tour in 2023 in a town near you! Please register in advance at https://t.co/o5FG0HI3gn

[Eric Frederick, Chief Connectivity Officer @MI_Broadband]

We're getting things moving in a big way for Michigan.

[Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist II @LtGovGilchrist]

The Digital Equity program will help us invest in affordability, devices, and digital skills, because connectivity is about more than just infrastructure. It connects Michiganders to healthcare, education, and the global economy.

[Eric Frederick, Chief Connectivity Officer @MI_Broadband]

@DelaneyNTIA @tsspangler @freep Michigan is gearing up to make sure the FCC map accurately reflects the connectivity reality across our state. Knowing where to build is the first step to achieving universal availability with the @NTIAgov historic investments.

[Eric Frederick, Chief Connectivity Officer @MI_Broadband]

@mikeconlow @FCC I'm curious about what's included in the geographic summary comparison table. The percent availability is higher in that table than I expected and I'm wondering if it contains any of the satellite services. If so, this is useless to me for comparing BEAD eligible areas.

[Eric Frederick, Chief Connectivity Officer @MI_Broadband]

@communitynets Which is why MI went out and collected cable and fiber plant asset location data in areas where coverage has likely been overstated for years (65k+ road miles). We know where the infrastructure is, and more importantly, where it isn't.

[Eric Frederick, Chief Connectivity Officer @MI_Broadband]

@TxLnghrnJen I'm cautiously optimistic. On one hand, I'm excited to finally be going to location-based granularity, but on the other, it's a new methodology upon which billion-dollar decisions will be made. No pressure